Aug 2003 Incentives for Good Environmental Management · 2 Eco-Incentives August 2003 I....

1 Eco-Incentives August 2003

INCENTIVES FOR GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT:

METHODS TO REWARD FARMERS WHO ENGAGE IN LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

AUGUST, 2003

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... 1 I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 2 II. VOLUNTARY................................................................................................................ 3 III. STICKS ....................................................................................................................... 4 IV. CARROTS ................................................................................................................... 5 APPENDIX 1: ANNOTATED LIST OF VOLUNTARY SCHEMES .......................................... 6 APPENDIX 2: ANNOTATED LIST PROMOTING “BEST PRACTICE”................................. 12 APPENDIX 3: ANNOTATED LIST OF SCHEMES TO AWARD FARMERS FOR GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE .......................................................................................... 18 END NOTES .................................................................................................................... 33


I. Introduction

For the last 10,000 we have ploughed the earth to raise crops.

• Many cultures have done this without damaging the environment.1

• Other cultures have depleted the soil, used up the water, and destroyed the biological fabric of life.2

Our society, blessed with technologies unimaginable a generation ago, has the potential to raise food in harmony with nature. In many cases this doesn’t happen.

• A key reason that we don’t act on our understanding of farming and the environment is because our economic system does not reflect, recognize or account for environmental degradation.3

• Nor does it credit the services we derive from the environment.

The reasons for these two failures have been well discussed elsewhere: • The cost of pollution is not included in the cost of most agricultural products so

farmers can economically ignore these problems since no one can make a profit from clean air and water or wildlife habitat there is no reason to promote these public goods.4

We must go beyond analyzing the problem: this has already been done. We must develop solutions: this is the goal of this paper.

Solutions fall into three broad categories.

• Voluntary. Initiatives/programs geared towards sustainable agriculture that a farmer may or may not choose to participate in. Typically, voluntary initiatives/programs are not incentives-based (i.e. lack any mechanism for rewarding or penalizing farmers) and in this sense are considered neutral instruments.

• Sticks. Impose penalties on farmers who fail to observe certain practices that result in environmental problems. Sticks are intended to deter unsustainable agricultural practices.

• Carrots. Provide positive incentives for farmers to meet high environmental standards. There exist numerous examples of these programs from around the world, where sustainable farming practices are promoted through the provision of certain benefits and/or rewards.


II. Voluntary

One of the more obvious trends in the agricultural industry has been the unprecedented increase in voluntary-oriented sustainability programs.

• The Rural Water Quality Program was developed with input from local farmers, Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Associa tion. 5

• Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the renewal and support of rural communities in a 10 county area in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee. 6

• The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) is an example of a government sponsored voluntary program. PESP forms partnerships with pesticide users to reduce the health and environmental risks associated with pesticide use and implement pollution prevention strategies.7

While there are several examples of government- inspired voluntary schemes, a majority of voluntary activity in this sector can be attributed to the substantial rise in non-governmental activity (see text box, below). However, agricultural policy no longer falls under the exclusive purview of governmental bureaucracies. Today there exists a vast network of farmer’s coalitions, community groups and concerned citizens that have an interest in encouraging sustainable farming practices.

• Voluntary schemes are certainly a step forward on the path towards sustainable agriculture however there are certain drawbacks associated with this approach.

• Perhaps the most notable drawback is the issue of compliance. While the environment would certainly benefit from the widespread adoption of these programs, there is no available instrument for collective enforcement.

• In short, while voluntary programs are starting to tackle some of the tougher issues of how to reconcile agricultural practice with environmental consciousness, the overall approach leaves one with the impression that sustainability is a matter of personal choice that may be overlooked without consequence.

• See appendix 1 for a more complete list of voluntary initiatives.

Government Sponsored Voluntary Guild lines Promoting “Best Practice”

The dire impact of unsustainable farming practices on the environment has prompted serious concern among governments worldwide. The response has culminated in an effort to promote “Best Practices.” (See APPENDIX 2: Annotated List of Promoting Best Practice) Some examples of this are:

• The establishment of “Codes of Conduct,” such as the Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of soil produced by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural. The Code provides a practical guide to help farmers and growers avoid causing long-term damage to the soils they farm. http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/cogap/soilcod e.pdf

• Farming manuals that contain guidelines for sustainable practice, such

as the Scottish Executives 4 Point Plan-providing guidance for livestock farmers on how to minimise diffuse pollution and benefit their business. The four points look at how to reduce dirty water around the farm, better nutrient use, how to carry out a risk assessment for slurry and manure, and how to manage water margins. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/4pointplan.pdf

Unfortunately, these government-sponsored initiatives function in a manner similar to the voluntary schemes discussed above. The Codes of Conduct and Best Practice Manuals set forth by various governments are largely rhetorical and unenforceable. In this sense, they fall short as a means to advance sustainable agricultural practices.


III. Sticks

Another mechanism that has emerged, in an attempt to promote sustainable farming practices are the application of “sticks.”

• Sticks are instruments that penalize farmers for engaging in unsustainable agricultural practices. Most of the time, this involves a fine. These types of instruments are intended to deter farmers from certain practices that may be harmful to the environment. There are numerous examples of this type of policy instrument around the world.8

In one sense, we can welcome the attempt to make farmers more accountable for unsustainable farming practices; however, there are a number of problems with the application of this tool. Let’s look at a few examples.

In June 2001, Ontario introduced as draft legislation the ‘Nutrient Management Act 2001’, which is designed to protect the rural environment and complement existing Ontario environmental laws. 9

• Although the bill has earned a great deal of support within the Industry, there are some significant problems.

• First of all, there doesn’t appear to be an effective auditing system and instead, the NMA relies upon an ad-hoc inspections system. And, as a recent policy brief by the Christian Farmers Organization notes, “this puts the onus on civil servants to show up, rather than on producers to provide proof of compliance.”

• Second, this legislation doesn’t allow farm size to be capped assuming that “if farms follow certain standards, size doesn’t matter.” 10 This unfairly imposes the same standards on all producers, most notably at the expense of smaller farmers. The burden placed on smaller farmers is particularly unfortunate given the value of smaller farms as an optimal model for sustainability. 11

Another example of a “stick” is the Endangered Species Act, which authorizes the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to place restrictions on how farmers and other landowners can use their land.

• All too often, such restrictions cause significant problems for farmers and ranchers. Fines or even imprisonment may result from conducting basic farming practices. While accountability for actions deemed harmful to the environment is a welcome move, this particular method of accountability seems counter to the very principles of sustainable development. For instance, the “polluter-pays” principle assumes that we can put a price tag on clean water, air and soil.

• Furthermore, Land-use restrictions impose financial burdens as farmers depend on their farms as their major investment. Therefore, any limitations on what farmers can and cannot do with their land may affect their long-term financial security. As Tom Waters (a Missouri Farmer and American Farm Bureau member) has remarked, “the ESA must be amended or updated to accommodate the needs both of listed species and people, with respect for priva te property rights.”12

In short, it is certainly a positive development to see individuals being held accountable for unsustainable farming practices. However, as these examples have demonstrated, in many instances “sticks” are not necessarily the best instrument available and may in fact


wrongly punish farmers or jeopardize their financial security. In future, the need for sustainable policies must be measured against, and more sufficiently reconciled with farmers interests.

IV. Carrots

Since our current economic system does not account for environmental impacts, a number of initiatives have been implemented as a means to resolve this failure.

• In the agricultural sector, such initiatives usually take the form of incentives-based schemes that rewards farmers for sustainable farming practices.

The popularity of incentives-based sustainability schemes appears to be growing worldwide. Here are a few examples:

• The Conservation Security Program. The new Farm Bill, called the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, establishes a program that holds great promise for rewarding farmers based on how well they are protecting and improving the environment.13

• Midwest Food Alliance - Creating Food Choices. This program promotes sustainable agriculture in the Upper Midwest by recognizing and rewarding farms that produce food in environmentally and socially responsible ways, and by educating consumers about the benefits of sustainable agriculture.14

• Organic Farming Scheme. A UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural scheme that provides payments to help farmers convert to organic farming (conversion option); as well as payments to help existing organic farmers to continue farming organically (maintenance option).15

• See appendix three for additional examples of carrots.

Carrots are by far the best instruments available for achieving sustainable farming practices without placing an unfair burden on farmers. Whereas voluntary sustainability programs suffer from a lack of enforceability and “sticks” tend to imply that a price tag may be placed on a healthy environment, incentives based schemes (“carrots”) signify a real attempt to reconcile environmental concerns within our economic system.


APPENDIX 1: Annotated List of Voluntary Schemes

Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) provides cost share assistance to agricultural producers to voluntarily address issues such as water management, water quality, and erosion control by incorporating conservation into their farming operations. Producers may construct or improve water management structures or irrigation structures; plant trees for windbreaks or to improve water quality; and mitigate risk through production diversification or resource conservation practices, including soil erosion control, integrated pest mana gement, or transition to organic farming.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/ama/

Appalachian Sustainable Development (ASD) is a not- for-profit organization dedicated to the renewal and support of rural communities in a 10 county area in southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee.

Through market development, on- farm assistance and training, and public education, our Sustainable Agriculture Program seeks to assist family farmers in making a comfortable living from their land. To this end, ASD encourages organic farming - a method of raising crops and animals that is both gentler on the natural environment and more profitable for the farmer

http://www.appsusdev.org/susag.html

Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems

Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems, or BIOS, is a technical assistance program that demonstrates: 1) the viability of farming systems which rely on sharply reduced chemical inputs and 2) the innovative power of cooperatively linked agricultural institutions. BIOS projects for almonds and walnuts have been established in seven counties. Since the founding of BIOS in 1993, similar initiatives have begun in grapes, cotton, row crops, prunes, and citrus.

http://www.caff.org/caff/programs/ag_community.html#bios

The Community Alliance with Family Farmers' Watershed Stewardship Project provides rural landowners in Solano and Merced counties with information and contacts for improving their management of natural resources. Healthy watersheds are important for every member of our communities. Wise watershed management is the best way to sustain the local economy and the health of the rural environment.

http://www.caff.org/caff/programs/WSP/wsp.html

The Conservation Reserve Program is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners. Through CRP, you can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland.


http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crp.htm

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program An offspring of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), CREP is a voluntary program for agricultural landowners. Unique state and federal partnerships allow you to receive incentive payments for installing specific conservation practices. Through the CREP, farmers can receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible land.

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/dafp/cepd/crep.htm

Conservation of Private Grazing Land

The Conservation of Private Grazing Land (CPGL) initiative will ensure that technical, educational, and related assistance is provided to those who own private grazing lands. It is not a cost share program. This technical assistance will offer opportunities for: better grazing land management; protecting soil from erosive wind and water; using more energy-efficient ways to produce food and fiber; conserving water; providing habitat for wildlife; sustaining forage and grazing plants; using plants to sequester greenhouse gases and increase soil organic matter; and using grazing lands as a source of biomass energy and raw materials for industrial products.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cpgl/

Conservation Technical Assistance

The Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) program provides voluntary conservation technical assistance to land-users, communities, units of state and local government, and other Federal agencies in planning and implementing conservation systems. This assistance is for planning and implementing conservation practices that address natural resource issues. It helps people voluntarily conserve, improve and sustain natural resources.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cta/index.html

Essex Region Conservation Authority

Conservation Farm Plans ERCA will help landowners develop a long term Conservation Farm Plan designed specifically fo r their farm. Through conservation planning, farmers can find ways to reduce wind and water erosion, improve water quality, protect and enhance wildlife habitat, and maintain or improve profitability. Cost estimates and technical assistance are provided for various projects including erosion control structures, drain maintenance, tree planting, and wildlife habitat management.

http://www.erca.org/soil/ecdf/soilecdf.htm


Farming Solutions is a Web site created by GreenPeace, Oxfam, Pesticide Action Network - Africa, and ILEIA (Centre for Information on Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture). It brings together "examples of successful, environmentally responsible farming systems...from all over the world, illustrating how farmers can protect the environment while at the same time increasing food supply where it is most needed". The Web site provides news stories, success stories, background information on the food crisis and the future of farming, and factual information on countries worldwide looking at their population, food insecurity, land use, production, and biodiversity

http://www.farmingsolutions.org/

Grassland Reserve Program

The Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance grasslands on their property. Section 2401 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171) amended the Food Security Act of 1985 to authorize this program. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency and Forest Service are coordinating implementation of GRP, which helps landowners restore and protect grassland, rangeland, pastureland, shrubland and certain other lands and provides assistance for rehabilitating grasslands. The program will conserve vulnerable grasslands from conversion to cropland or other uses and conserve valuable grasslands by helping maintain viable ranching operations.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/GRP/index.html

The Grazing Land Conservation Initiative (GLCI) is a nationwide collaborative process of individuals and organizations working to maintain and improve the management, productivity, and health of the Nation’s privately owned grazing land. This process has formed coalitions that represent the grass root concerns that impact private grazing land. The coalitions actively seek sources to increase technical assistance and public awareness activities that maintain or enhance grazing land resources

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/glci/

Lighthouse Farm Network

CAFF's Lighthouse Farm Network is building a community of farmers and other agricultural professionals who readily share information about farming systems that are profitable yet rely less on chemicals. Every month, 1400 farmers and other ag professionals meet at breakfast meetings, lunch meetings or field days to share technical information about biologically-based farming practices. Each month over 2,000 people receive Farmer to Farmer, LFN's newsletter.

http://www.caff.org/caff/programs/ag_community.html#csawest


Methane Recovery

The AgSTAR Program focuses on working with farmers on technologies that capture the methane released from manure management systems. The program encourages the use of methane recovery (biogas) technologies by confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). Also, methane recovery achieves other environmental benefits including odor control. This voluntary program is jointly sponsored by EPA, USDA, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). http://www.epa.gov/agstar

The National Register of Sprayer Operators (NRoSO) is a central register of certificated spray operators which uses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) as a means of ensuring ongoing training. The scheme is administered by the National Proficiency Testing Council (NPTC). It is an industry initiative intended to demonstrate to the Government that only responsible users apply pesticides and thereby minimise environmental risk. By registering on NRoSO – employers and operators are showing their commitment to professionalism and ongoing training. It will reinforce the responsible image of operators to the regulators and the public.

http://www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk/Content/NROSO.asp

Ontario Stewardship The Program's strength lies in its 40 Community Stewardship Councils, volunteer groups of representative landowners and land interest groups who determine what are the environmental priorities for a given area (usually a county) in Ontario. Each Community Stewardship Council has, dedicated to it, an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources staff person known as a Stewardship Coordinator, an individual who through work experience, training and aptitude acts as an Executive Director and facilitator to the Council and hence the community. All Community Stewardship Councils have project and operational funding which act as the catalyst to ensure that good ideas can be translated into great projects . . . . Examples of these projects include: landowner workshops on woodlot and wetland management, pamphlets an extension notes, stream restoration projects, endangered species conservation, environmental school programs, demonstration projects, community tree plants, etc. http://www.ontariostewardship.org/index.htm

The Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) is a voluntary program that forms partnerships with pesticide users to reduce the health and environmental risks associated with pesticide use and implement pollution prevention strategies. EPA started the program in 1994.

There are two categories of membership in PESP: (1) Partners: Organizations that use pesticides or represent pesticide users. (2) Supporters: Organizations that do not use pesticides, but have significant influence over the pest management practices of pesticide users. (Food processors, for example, may influence the use of pesticides on produce they buy, even though they do not apply pesticides to the produce themselves.) Supporters


may also include public interest groups whose constituencies have a strong interest in pesticide risk reduction.

http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/PESP/index.htm

The Rural Water Quality Program was developed with input from steering committees, which included local farmers, Ontario Farm Environmental Coalition, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association. Through this consultation, the needs of the environment have been balanced with agricultural production needs. The Rural Water Quality Program is voluntary. The management practices that you choose may be different from those of your neighbours. The Rural Water Quality Program will help producers respond to the specific water quality concerns on their individual farms by providing financial and technical assistance.

http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=25&Sub1=0&sub2=0

Resource Conservation & Development Program

The purpose of the Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) program is to accelerate the conservation, development and utilization of natural resources, improve the general level of economic activity, and to enhance the environment and standard of living in designated RC&D areas. It improves the capability of State, tribal and local units of government and local nonprofit organizations in rural areas to plan, develop and carry out programs for resource conservation and development. The program also establishes or improves coordination systems in rural areas. Current program objectives focus on improvement of quality of life achieved through natural resources conservation and community development which leads to sustainable communities, prudent use (development), and the management and conservation of natural resources. RC&D areas are locally sponsored areas designated by the Secretary of Agriculture for RC&D technical and financial assistance program funds.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/rcd/

The Rural Enterprise Scheme aims to provide target assistance to support the development of more sustainable diversified, enterprising rural economies and communities to assist their changing role of agriculture. As part of defra’s support for farm diversification activities, we are making available a land use planning feasibility study to those farmers who intend to pursue a viable diversification project under the Rural Enterprise Scheme . Projects range from the marketing of agricultural produce to converting piggeries into a nusery. [More]

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/res/default.htm

The Voluntary Initiative was started in April 2001 as "a programme of measures, agreed by Government, to minimise the environmental impact of pesticides...as an alternative to a proposed pesticide tax." The Web site provides information about the


Voluntary Initiative, and the programme, steering group, information for agronomists, farmers and operators, biodiveristy action plans, and links to related Web sites. Environmental Information Sheets (EIS's) are also provided, giving information about the effects on the environment of specific crop protection products

http://www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk/Content/default.asp

Wetlands Reserve Program

The Wetlands Reserve Program is a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their property. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial support to help landowners with their wetland restoration efforts. The NRCS goal is to achieve the greatest wetland functions and values, along with optimum wildlife habitat, on every acre enrolled in the program. This program offers landowners an opportunity to establish long-term conservation and wildlife practices and protection.

http://www.nrcs.usda.go v/programs/wrp/


APPENDIX 2: Annotated List Promoting “Best Practice”

Agricultural fuel oil and waste oil

This leaflet is one in a series on the environmental impacts of agriculture published on the Web by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). It provides information on how oil spillages on the farm result in serious pollution of the soil and water, and looks at the storage facilities required for fue l oil, management and maintenance of oil storage tanks, the safe disposal of waste oils, and safety precautions to take when handling oils.

http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/leaflets/agricultural_leaflets/oil.pdf

Agriculture and water : a diffuse pollution review

Published on the Web by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in June 2002, this document presents the Government's strategic review of diffuse water pollution caused by agriculture in England. It looks at how agricultural activities contribute to the problem of diffuse water pollution, the common pollutants, influence of agriculture on the quality of water in England and Wales, and the cost of diffuse pollution, as well as setting out the Government's targets for reducing the problem.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/dwpa/reports/dwpa01.htm

BASIS Professional Register

The minimum in best practice for modern agronomists is summarised for all by membership of the BASIS Professional Register. The Register's code of Ethics states that: "all members of the Register should order their affairs such that they always uphold the dignity of the Pesticide and Fertiliser Indus tries."

http://www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk/Content/Adv_BP.asp

Codes of Good Agricultural Practice

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/cogap/cogap.htm

Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of air

Produced and published on the Web in October 1998 by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA - formerly MAFF). This Code is a practical guide to help farmers and growers avoid causing air pollution from odours, ammonia and smoke, or greenhouse gases. Chapters in the Code include; legislation, minimising odours from land spreading of livestock waste, producing compost for mushrooms, ammonia,


fuels produced on the farm, and greenhouse gases (such as methane and Chlorofluorocarbons - CFCs).

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/cogap/aircode.pdf

Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of soil

Produced and published on the Web in October 1998 by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA - formerly MAFF). This Code provides a practical guide to help farmers and growers avoid causing long-term damage to the soils they farm. Chapters in the Code include; laws on soil protection, soil fertility, contamination, physical degradation, and restoring disturbed soils

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/cogap/soilcode.pdf

Code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water

Produced and published on the Web in October 1998 by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA - formerly MAFF). This is a Statutory Code under section 97 of the Water Resources Act 1991, and aims to provide a practical guide to farmers and growers to help prevent them from creating water pollution. Chapters in the Code include; laws controlling pollution, farm waste management planning, slurries, dirty water, solid manures, silage effluent, and fuel oil.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/cogap/watercod.pdf

Code of practice for the management of agricultural and horticultural waste

Published on the Web by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA - formerly MAFF), this Code describes measures for "minimising plant health risks from management of residues and associated waste from commercial handling of certain types of plant produce in Great Britain." The Code is voluntary in nature and is intended to help farmers, growers, processors, graders, packers and hauliers minimise health risks while ensuring good environmental practice. Topics covered by this Code include; assessing the risk, management options, treatment and disinfection procedures, storage and transport, and notification of known or suspected problems.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/publicat/waste/index.htm

Code of practice for the prevention and control of salmonella on pig farms

Published on the Web by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA - formerly MAFF), this voluntary Code of Practice, is issued by MAFF and the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD). The Code is aimed at pig farmers and provides a 'best practice' guide to preventing the occurrence of salmonella in pig farms. In addition, the Code gives guidance on controls to prevent the spread of infection within the herd and to other farms once a case has occurred, and provides guidance on the cleaning and disinfection of pig farms. Information is provided


on Salmonella and the importance of its control, and annexes include a check list for preparation of a detailed plan for cleaning and disinfection of pig units.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/pig.pdf

Common codex for integrated farming

Published on the Web by the Forum de l'Agriculture Raisonnée Respectueuse de l'Environnement (FARRE), this Common Codex for Integrated Farming was produced by the member associations of EISA (European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture) of which FARRE is one. This Codex "defines a set of common principles and practices that will enable farmers and growers to achieve these goals through the promotion and development of Integrated Farming." The site includes links to EISA member organisations.

http://www.farre.org/versionAnglaise/CommonCodex.htm

Environmental impact assessment for use of uncultivated land or semi -natural areas for intensive agricultural purposes

Produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), this site provides information about the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scheme for uncultivated land and semi-natural areas. It provides access to the latest EIA guidelines and explanatory leaflet, as well as the application form for an EIA decision, news releases, and the DEFRA Codes of Good Agricultural Practice for soil, air and water. A list of frequently asked questions is also provided, along with links to related organisations.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/eia/default.htm

Farming forward

Produced and published on the Web by the National Trust on June 28th 2001, this document sets out a long term vision for sustainable farming in the UK, incorporating a list of proposals that cover sustainable farming systems, a local food economy, and future consumers.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/environment/

The Four Point Plan

Published on the Web by the Scottish Executive in November 2002, the 4 point plan provides guidance for livestock farmers on how to minimise diffuse pollution and benefit their business. The four points look at how to reduce dirty water around the farm, better nutrient use, how to carry out a risk assessment for slurry and manure, and how to manage water margins


http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5 /agri/4pointplan.pdf

International code of conduct for plant germplasm collecting and transfer

This document outlines the Code of Conduct for plant germplasm collecting and transfer as stated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Commission on Plant Genetic Resources. Information is provided on the Code's objectives and definitions, the nature and scope of the Code, collector's permits, responsibilities of collectors, responsibilities of sponsors, curators and users and on reporting, monitoring and evaluating the observance of the Code. This Code was adopted by the FAO Conference in 1993 and is published on the FAO Web site

http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/AGRICULT/AGp/agps/pgr/icc/icce.htm

The campaign "Living Landscapes" is part of Sweden's new agricultural policy, which focuses on the environment and rural development. The concept Living Landscapes entails the care and protection of open space, wildlife habitat, small biotopes and ecosystems, wetlands, genetic variation within native species, and the preservation of social and cultural heritage such as buildings and cultivation methods of particular importance. Closely linked to the concept of Working Landscapes, Living Landscapes puts emphasis on what is called cultivated diversity, including traditional agricultural practices, old native breeds of livestock, and the preservation of natural areas.

http://www.environmentalobservatory.org/

Prevention of environmental pollution from agricultural activity : nitrogen and phosphorus supplement

Produced and published on the Web in May 2001 by the Scottish Executive, this document on nitrogen and phosphorus pollution control, is a supplement to the Code of Good Practice on Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity. The document covers nitrate, mandatory measures in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs), voluntary measures, phosphorus, and organic farming. Provided in PDF format, this document is 18 pages long, can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader and includes a bibliography

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/pepfa.pdf

Prevention of environmental pollution from agricultural activity

Published on the Web in 2002 by the Scottish Executive, this online booklet is aimed at farmers, crofters, and all those involved in agricultural activity. It provides practical guidance on how to prevent pollution from many different agricultural activities including waste management, pesticide use, disposal of animal carcasses, and soil protection.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/environment/pepf-00.asp


Protecting river banks

This leaflet is one in a series on the environmental impacts of agriculture published on the Web by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). It provides information on the importance of protecting river banks to wildlife and fisheries, and measures that farmers can take to help prevent erosion. It also provides information on potential so urces of funding for farmers to help them protect river banks

http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/leaflets/agricultural_leaflets/overgraz.pdf

Recommended code of practice for the care and handling of farm animals : beef cattle

Produced and published on the Web by the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council (CARC), this code of practice focuses on the care and handling of beef cattle and is intended as an educational tool in the promotion of good husbandry and welfare practices. The Code is voluntary and topics covered include shelter and housing, feed and water, reproduction management, herd management, herd health management, transportation, auction markets, and processors. Supporting appendices are provided

http://www.carc-crac.ca/common/beef%20cattle%20en.pdf

Recommended code of practice for the care and handling of farm animals : horses

Produced and published on the Web by the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council (CARC) in 1998, this code of practice focuses on the care and handling of horses and is intended as an educational tool in the promotion of good husbandry and welfare practices. The Code is voluntary and topics covered include management skills and responsibilities, shelter and horse facilities, feed and water, handling, health management, feedlots, and foal management. Supporting appendices are provided

http://www.carc-crac.ca/english/codes_of_practice/horse.htm

Recommended code of practice for the care and handling of farm animals : transportation

Produced and published on the Web by the Canadian Agri-Food Research Council (CARC) in 2001, this code of practice focuses on the care and handling of livestock during transportation, and is intended as an educational tool in the promotion of good husbandry and welfare practices. The Code is voluntary and topics covered include loading and unloading, care and protection during transit, animals at risk, and species specific and class specific considerations .

http://www.carc-crac.ca/common/TRANSPORT-CODE4.PDF

Silos and silage effluent


This leaflet is one in a series on the environmental impacts of agriculture published on the Web by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). It provides informa tion on the pollution damage silage effluent causes, the regulations for silage making, issues for maintenance of the silage silos, and ways of safely disposing of silage effluent

http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/leaflets/agricultural_leaflets/silos.pdf

Slurry

This leaflet is one in a series on the environmental impacts of agriculture published on the Web by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). It provides information on pollution which can be caused by slurry, how a Farm Waste Management Plan can reduce pollution risk, the safe collection, storage and disposal of slurry, and the maintenance of slurry stores. Sources of further information are also listed

http://www.sepa.org.uk/publications/leaflets/agricultural_leaflets/slurry.pdf

The environmental impact of dairy production in the EU : practical options for the improvement of environmental impact

Written by CEAS Consultants (Wye) Ltd (now Agra CEAS Consulting), and the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism for the European Commission, this document presents the final report on the environmental impact of dairy farming in the EU. The report is divided into two parts, the first providing a review of dairy production in the EU, and a discussion of the main trends and environmental issues in EU dairy systems, and looks at the impact of the Agenda 2000 reforms on the dairy sector. The second part of the report looks at present measures to minimise the environmental impact of EU dairy farming. It also provides options for improving the environmental impact of EU dairy systems, using Good Agricultural Practice (GAP).

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/agriculture/pdf/dairy.pdf

TIBRE (Targeted Inputs for a Better Rural Environment) is "an initiative by Scottish Natural Heritage which aims to show how technology can be used in farming to benefit the environment", by using new technologies to pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers in a more targetted and efficient way. The Web site provides information on TIBRE and how it can be used, and provides access to the TIBRE handbook. The handbook contents includes information on variety choice, disease control and disease regulation, fertiliser and manure, pest control, weed control, machinery, diagnostics, information technology, management practices, and making the most of technology

http://213.121.208.4/scottish/tibre/newtibre.htm


APPENDIX 3: Annotated List of Schemes to Award Farmers for Good Environmental Practice

Assured Combinable Crops (ACCS) is one of the assurance schemes allowed to award the British Farm Standard to producers, which ensures that their combinable crops are produced to a high quality and that the farm works within the standards for environmental protection, and food safety. The Web site provides information on ACCS, news items, FAQs, and a list of registered buyers. A searchable database of registered members is also provided, allowing buyers to ensure that their producer is a certified member. This service is only available to registered users. Further services are available to members.

http://www.assuredcrops.co.uk/ACCS/

Assured British Meat (ABM) is one of the assurance schemes allowed to award the British Farm Standard to producers, which ensures that their red meat is produced to a high quality and that the farm works within the standards for animal welfare, environmental protection, and food safety. The Web site provides information on ABM and its partners, news items, and details of the standards for feed manufacturers, farmers, livestock markets, livestock transport, abattoirs, and secondary wholesalers, and the certification bodies who can offer ABM certification.

http://www.abm.org.uk/

Assured Chicken Production (ACP) is one of the assurance schemes allowed to award the British Farm Standard to producers, which ensures that their chickens are produced to a high quality and that the farm works within the standards for animal health and welfare, environmental protection, and food safety. The Web site provides information on the scheme and its benefits, and provides the scheme standards to download in MS Word. Press releases and FAQs are also provided, as well as links to related Web sites

http://www.assuredchicken.org.uk/

Assured Produce is one of the assurance schemes allowed to award the British Farm Standard to producers, which ensures that their fruit, salads and vegetables are produced to a high quality and that the farm works within the standards for environmental protection and food safety. The Web site provides information on the scheme and its benefits, with the standards and protocols available to download in PDF, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader. It also provides FAQs, press releases, and links to related Web sites. Further services are available to members.

http://www.assuredproduce.co.uk/Aproduce/

Biologically Integrated Farming Systems


An increasing number of California farmers and livestock producers representing many agricultural commodities have been able to maintain yields and quality while reducing their reliance on agricultural chemicals through Biologically Integrated Farming Systems (BIFS). BIFS projects typically include the following three elements: (1) on- farm demonstrations of an innovative biologically -based farming system; (2) a collaborative extension model involving public-private partnerships for sharing technical information about the farming system; and (3) an organized program of monitoring key biological and economic variables so as to inform on-farm decision making as well as evaluate project success. Continued support from US-EPA enables the University of California to fund several new three-year demonstration projects. These projects can help farmers and livestock producers address challenges to their production systems. BIFS projects can be designed to anticipate and comply with federal and state regulatory changes.

http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/grants/RFP/2001/BIFS.htm

The British Farm Standard, launched in June 2000 and managed by Assured Food Standards (AFS), is a stamp of approval identified by the "little red tractor" which indicates that the food product meets a set of agreed standards of good agricultural practice, covering all aspects of production on the farm, that are checked regularly by trained inspectors. The Web site provides information on the history of the little red tractor, and on what the farm standard signifies, as well as details of how the scheme works in the six sectors of production: beef and lamb, pork, poultry, dairy, vegetables, cereals and oilseeds. The site also provides information on the inspectors and AFS, as well as FAQs, recipes, a photo gallery, case studies, and links to related organisations' Web sites.

http://www.littleredtractor.org.uk/

The Clean Water Project (CWP) is a rural water quality initiative that provides technical assistance and financial incentives to improve and protect water quality on your farm. Local municipalities together with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food are offering cost-sharing grants to qualified landowners for best management practices that improve ground and surface water quality. Financial assistance ranges from 50% to 70%, depending on the project. Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) incentives cannot be used as matching dollars for a project. To further enhance the Clean Water Project, the Great Lakes Renewal Foundation provides funding to cost-share upgrades to septic systems and manure storages.

http://www.thamesriver.org/CleanWaterProject/CWP.htm

The Clean Water Farm Project has coordinated over thirty farm demonstrations focused on water quality protection since 1995. Farm tours and field days help spread the lessons learned in the projects. The project has helped farmers and ranchers around the state implement farming practices that establish effective, low-cost, easily adopted models for water quality protection. The second phase of this project (Clean Water Farms - Whole Farm Planning) was launched at the beginning of 2001 and will continue through


2004. Participating farms must be located in high priority watersheds in northeast, southeast, and south central Kansas. The farmers will work with KRC staff to complete an environmental assessment of their farm using the River Friendly Farm Plan notebook. The assessment includes farm and family goals and an optional financial analysis of potential farm improvements. Once the farmer has completed an action plan for their farm, they are eligible for a $250 payment. An approved action plan also allows the farmer to apply for additional cost share of up to $5,000 to complete items in the action plan

http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/projects.html

The Conservation Security Program The new Farm Bill, called the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act, establishes a program that holds great promise for rewarding farmers based on how well they are protecting and improving the environment. The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a unique and exciting initiative that provides payments for producers who historically have practiced good stewardship on their agricultural lands, and incentives for those who want to do more. The program is being administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The philosophy behind CSP is that it is a way to reward farmers for doing a good job of conservation on working farmland, as well as for implementing new practices that improve land stewardship still further.

http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html

The Conservation Farm Option (CFO) is a pilot program available to wheat, feed grains, cotton, and rice farmers who have signed production flexibility contracts. It is designed to foster innovation in natural resource protection and enhancement, including soil and water conservation, water quality improvement, wetlands restoration or protection, wildlife habitat, and other similar conservation purposes. CFO is intended to consolidate various USDA conservation contracts and payments into a single, ten-year contract, that will allow flexibility and innovation in meeting a variety of natural resource needs in an integrated fashion. CFO will be administered as a competitive grants program.

http://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/farmpoli/features/makesens/cfo.htm

Countryside Stewardship

Farmers and land managers enter 10-year agreements to manage land in an environmentally beneficial way in return for annual payments. Grants are also available towards capital works such as hedge laying and planting, repairing dry stone walls, etc.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/css/default.htm

Converting to Organic Farming


Produced and published on the Web in 2001 by the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC), this technical note provides information farmers need to consider when converting to organic farming methods. It provides information on the principles of organic farming, legal obligations, organic standards, applying organic standards in practice, financial implications of conversion, price premiums, and the SEERAD Organic Aid Scheme. It also provides contact details for the organic certification bodies.

http://www.sac.ac.uk/info/External/About/publicns/TN/TN451REV.PDF

DEFRA's Farm Woodland Premium scheme (FWPS) aims to enhance the environment through the planting of farm woodlands, thereby improving the landscape, providing new habitats and increasing biodiversity. It supports the creation of farm woodland by encouraging farmers to convert productive agricultural land to woodlands through annual payments to compensate for agricultural income forgone. Payments are made for 10 years (for mainly conifer woodlands) or 15 years (for mainly broadleaved woodlands).

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/fwps/default.htm

Direct Farm Ownership (DFO) and Direct Operating Loan (DOL) Programs

These programs offer farmers affordable credit with direct (as opposed to guaranteed) loans to buy and operate farms. Emphasis is placed on assisting beginning, minority and other limited-resource family sized farms through regular and low- interest loans and individualized credit counseling and supervision. The purpose of the direct farm ownership (FO) and operating (OL) loan programs are to provide financing and assistance to family farmers to establish farms, achieve financial success and graduate to commercial credit or self- financing. FSA has various tools to assist family farmers, which include low interest rates and individualized credit counseling and supervision. Each dollar appropriated for these programs makes $6 to $10 of loans available to farmers. Appropriated levels reflect only the government's cost of running the programs, including the subsidy that lowers interest rates, a projected default rate for each type of loan, and similar costs

http://www.sustainableagriculture. net/DFO_and_DOL.php

In 1993, Earth Love Fund gave a grant through the Rainforest Alliance to the "ECO-OK" programme in Costa Rica, to set up a certification programme for banana growers. Since then, the programme has been adopted by the region's largest banana company, Chiquita, and deforestation for banana plantations has stopped throughout Costa Rica.

http://www.unisong.com/elf/cons5.html

The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by wind erosion, floods,


hurricanes, or other natural disasters, and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures during periods of severe drought.

http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/publications/facts/html/ecp00.htm

Energy Crops Scheme

The Energy Crops Scheme (ECS) provides establishment grants for two energy crops, short-rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and aid to help SRC growers set up producer groups.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/energy/default.htm

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme was introduced in 1987 to offer incentives to encourage farmers to adopt agricultural practices that safeguard and enhance parts of the country of particularly high landscape, wildlife or historic value. There are now 22 ESAs in England, covering some 10% of agricultural land.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/esas/default.htm

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can provide technical assistance, cost-share payments, incentive payments and education to crop farms and moderate-scale livestock farms. EQIP contracts will cover 5 to 10 years, with a limitations of $10,000 per year and $50,000 total for multi-year contracts. Half of the funds in the EQIP program will be available to livestock producers and half to crop farms

http://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/farmpoli/features/makesens/eqip.htm

The FABBL Farm Assurance Scheme was set up in 1992 to "provide a farm assurance scheme, to give retailers and consumers confidence in British livestock production standards." FABBL is one of the schemes allowed to award the British Farm Standard to producers. The Web site provides information on the scheme rules, and on the standards and inspection protocols for beef, lamb and combinable crops. These are provided in PDF, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader. The site also gives details of inspection and certification, news items, and links to related Web sites. A "Verification Database" is also provided, allowing people to check if a producer is a member of the Farm Assurance Scheme, although this service is only available to subscribers.

http://www.fabbl.co.uk/

Farm*A*Syst Farm*A*Syst is a national program which originated at the University of Wisconsin in 1991. Forty-six states and U.S. territories have taken the basic Farm*A*Syst material, modified it to fit their locale and are currently distributing it. In Iowa, Farm Bureau has taken the lead in adapting the national model to meet the needs of Iowans.


The goal of Farm*A*Syst in Iowa is to reduce the risk of water pollution, particularly drinking water pollution, by providing a simple, totally confidential assessment for farms and acreages. Farm*A*Syst also alerts rural residents if their current practices violate Iowa law. http://www.ifbf.org/farmasyst/

The Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program (FRPP) provides matching funds to help purchase development rights to keep productive farm and ranchland in agricultural uses. Working through existing programs, USDA partners with State, tribal, or local governments and non-governmental organizations to acquire conservation easements or other interests in land from landowners. USDA provides up to 50 percent of the fair market easement value.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/fpp/

Healthy Waters Incentive Program

The NVCA is attempting to develop a financial assistance program that will help both rural and urban landowners and interested groups and organizations implement Best Management Practices (BMP) that improve water quality and quantity within our jurisdiction. Applications are now being accepted.

http://www.nvca.on.ca/healthy_waters/incentive.htm

The Heartland Network empowers rural communities to develop production and food systems that effectively balance profitability, quality of life, and land stewardship. The Network seeks to build leadership and working partnerships that integrate farms, food systems, and institutions into a sustainable future. The Kansas Rural Center awards grants to clusters of farmers and ranchers to investigate innovative management or marketing approaches. This seed money stimulates trials, workshops, field trips, pasture walks, whole farm planning, feasibility studies and market research. Business planning facilitation services are available to farmer groups exploring enterprise and market diversification. Master farmers mentor other farmers through a shared learning journey to transfer management skills and wisdom to the next generation of farmers

http://www.kansasruralcenter.org/heartland/index.html

Healthy Futures for Ontario Agriculture will invest in three main program initiatives: (1) Rural Water Quality focuses on implementing best management practices or technologies in the agri- food sector to safeguard water quality and quantity in rural Ontario (2) Field to Fork Food Safety and Quality provides funding and access to technical expertise to assist the agri- food sector in maintaining and expanding its capacity to meet domestic and export market demands with regard to food safety and quality; and (3) Healthy Futures Innovation supports applied research, new product development, expanded market access and the creation or adoption of technologies, practices and


processes that enhance food safety and water quality. This includes implementing new verification and reporting systems

http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAF/english/hfoa/index.html

Highly Erodible Land Conservation Compliance Provisions (or Conservation Compliance) The Food Security Act of 1985, as amended, requires that all persons that produce agriculture commodities must protect all cropland classified as being highly erodible from excessive erosion in return for the receipt of certain USDA benefits.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/cc.php

The Hill Farm Allowance

Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) is a compensatory allowance for beef and sheep farmers in the English Less Favoured Areas (LFAs) in recognition of the difficulties they face and the vital role they play in maintaining the landscape and rural communities of the uplands. Payments are made annually in March. The budget varies each year - in 2003 it amounts to £41.1 million. HFA is administered by the Rural Payment Agency (RPA) on behalf of Defra.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/hfa/default.htm

Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems

This program provides research grants on emerging agricultural issues related to food production, environmental quality and natural resources management, rural development and farm income. While it funds many topics not germane to sustainable agriculture farmers and ranchers, it has supported millions of dollars in grants supporting sustainable agriculture production, market development, and approaches that help small- to medium-sized farmers and ranchers remain competitive. Grants awarded must address priority mission areas related to: (a) Agricultural genome, (b) Food safety, food technology and human nutrition, (c) New and alternative uses and production of agricultural commodities and products, (d) Agricultural biotechnology, (e) Natural resource management, including precision agriculture, and (f) Farm efficiency and profitability, including the viability and competitiveness of small- and medium-sized dairy, livestock, crop, and other commodity operations. In the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, an additional critical emerging issue was identified: rural economic and business and community development policy.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/IFAFS.php

IATP is working collaboratively with several other organizations and agencies in an effort to introduce more perennial crops into the Blue Earth River basin of south-central Minnesota. Corn and soybean currently dominates the region and soil erosion and water quality have been significant environmental concerns. The Blue Earth River Basin Initiative (BERBI), the lead organization on this project, will be receiving approximately


$1 million from the Minnesota legislature to fund research on alternative crops and provide incentives for farmers to convert to perennial crops.

http://www.environmentalobservatory.org/

The Lake Simcoe Water Quality Improvement Program (LSWQIP) provides technical and financial support to private landowners in interested in completing conservation works that will help restore Lake Simcoe's ecological balance. LSWQIP Funding Incentives Support: clean water diversion projects, installing fencing that restricts livestock access to watercourses, generating Nutrient Management Plans, reducing cropland erosion, establishing buffer strips, adopting contour cropping, retiring fragile lands, installing/upgrading milkhouse waste and manure storage facilities, decommisioning unused wells, protecting wellheads, upgrading/replacing private septic systems, stabilizing streambanks and shorelines, and retrofitting ponds with bypass channels &/or bottom draws

http://www.lsrca.on.ca/envserv.html

Linking Environment and Farming

Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) was set up in 1991 to promote integrated crop management (ICM) through environmentally responsible farm practices and safe, good quality food production.

http://www.leafuk.org/leaf/

Michigan's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was created to help protect our environment and wildlife. Michigan is partnering with the federal government to implement conservation practices of great significance to the state, and valuable to the nation, in matters of soil erosion, water quality, and wildlife habitat.

http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125-1566_2311-62979--,00.html

Midwest Food Alliance - Creating Food Choices The Midwest Food Alliance (MWFA) promotes sustainable agriculture in the Upper Midwest by recognizing and rewarding farms that produce food in environmentally and socially responsible ways, and by educating consumers about the benefits of sustainable agriculture. Through its seal of approval (eco- label) program, MWFA seeks to: recognize the great stewardship of local farms, raise consumer awareness of these farms and the foods they produce, and reinforce that participating in a farm- food-consumer alliance is necessary to ensuring the health and sustainability of our communities

http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_mwfa.html


Natural Resource Management Leverage Fund

The NRM Leverage Fund will broker customised financing for individuals and groups who plan to undertake natural resource management activities that will deliver both public and private benefits. Applicants will need to submit business proposals to the Fund that demonstrate a capacity to earn a return which at the same time delivering environmental outcomes. http://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/NAT/OnGroundAction/NationalPrograms/MBI.htm

http://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/GA/NAT/WhatsNew/MBIrelease.htm

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture’s Beginning farmer and rancher programs address three important areas: Development: A competitive grant program to support a wide range of programs at the state and local level that target beginning farmers and ranchers. Credit: A set of reforms to existing beginning farmer loan programs plus one new pilot program offering federal guarantees on private contract land sales of farms or ranches to beginning farmers. Conservation: Increased cost-share payments to beginning farmers and ranchers (specifically, up to 90% cost share under CSP and EQIP, rather than the traditional 75%), plus general authority to provide special conservation program incentives for beginning farmers and ranchers.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/Beginning.php

Nitrogen Management Insurance The IFBF and Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance are working with Agren, Inc., the Agricultural Conservation Innovation Center and a consortium of insurance companies to develop financial insurance polices that can substitute for protective use of inputs to overcome farmers' real or perceived risk of profit and loss. One product is nitrogen and phosphorus management insurance. The policy may be available in 2003 at a reduced cost through Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

http://www.ifbf.org/government/environment/default.asp

Onsite Wastewater Systems Assistance Program The DNR's new Onsite Wastewater Systems Assistance Program (OSWAP) was created to improve water quality in Iowa by financing the replacement of existing polluting household septic systems in the state (an estimated 100,000 or more) with county-approved septic systems that provide proper wastewater treatment. Inadequate septic systems can pollute streams, lakes, groundwater, and water wells. The program offers loans to homeowners through participating local lenders: (1) at interest rates of 3 percent or less; (2) for amounts of between $2,000 and $10,000 (average costs are $5,000 per septic system); and (3) for a maximum repayment period of 10 years.



Organic Action Plan

Published on the Web by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD) in February 2003, this document presents the action plan for developing a strategy for sustainable organic food production in Scotland, and was a joint work of the Scottish Executive and the Organics Stakeholder Group. It looks at the current situation in organic farming in Scotland, the support available to organic farmers including the Organic Aid Scheme, marketing of organic produce, current research, and the development of standard for Scotland.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/agri/orap-00.asp

Organic Farmers and Growers

Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd (OF&G) is one of six certification bodies accredited with the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) and is approved to inspect organic production in the UK. Information is provided on its Organic Assurance Scheme which is used to inspect and certify organic produce, as well as information on the OF&G, lists of producers, processors, importers and farm inputs processors registered with OF&G, technical information from the OF&G control manual required by producers and processors, and news items.

http://www.organicfarmers.uk.com/

Organic Food Federation

The Organic Food Federation is a trade association for the organic food industry in the UK, which is licensed by the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) to provide an inspection, certification and registration service for organic producers. The site includes information about the Federation, guidelines for complying with organic principles, and background information on organic farming.

http://www.orgfoodfed.com/

Organic production and the UK Register of Organic Food Standards

This area of the Web site of the UK Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) brings together information on the regulation of producers of organic food in the UK. Regulation is administered by the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS), whose standards are published in PDF on this site, together with other management information about UKROFS. Other information available here includes frequently asked questions on organic certification, statistics on the UK organic sector, standards for organic imports, and procedures for obtaining derogations for using non-organic ingredients in organic products.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/organic/


Organic Farming Scheme

This scheme provides payments to help farmers convert to organic farming (conversion option); and payments to help existing organic farmers to continue farming organically (maintenance option).

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/ofs/default.htm

Organic Transitions Program (ORG)

2002 Farm Bill-Section 406. Section 406 is a funding vehicle for a wide variety of programs in the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) that integrate research, extension and education. The purpose of the Organic Transitions Program within Section 406 is to support systems research, outreach and education programs on organic farming to assist farmers in successfully adopting organic practices. The maximum award is for up to four years, with no funding limit set.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/Organic_Transitions.php

Ottawa's Rural Clean Water Program improves water quality in our local rivers, streams and creeks by reducing pollution and volume of water running off the land. The program is an initiative of the City of Ottawa with funding from the South Nation Conservation. It was developed in cooperation with local farm and rural organizations, government agencies, and universities. The Conservation Authorities of Ottawa work in partnership with the City to administer the program. Teaming up with rural residents, the City offers grants to rural and agricultural landowners for on-the-ground projects that improve and protect water quality.

http://city.ottawa.on.ca/city_services/waterwaste/27_2_6_2_en.shtml

The Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS) was formed in 2001 in order to provide organic certification to an ISO (International Standards Organisation) Guide 65 compliant standard that will be acceptable to all jurisdictions. The PACS has also the mandate to provide certification services (organic or otherwise) as determined by the membership.

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/Ca/pacs_list.asp

Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agricultural Certification Agricultural expansion is the single largest threat to remaining forests in the tropics. Farms are often responsible for the contamination of waterways, deforestation and soil erosion in regions rich in biodiversity. In response, the Rainforest Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), a coalition o f independent, nonprofit conservation groups, created Rainforest Alliance socio-environmental certification. Along with the nine members of the SAN, the Rainforest Alliance consults with social and environmental groups, industry, government and other stakeholders to develop guidelines for well-managed


tropical agriculture. Certification is a comprehensive process that promotes and guarantees improvements in agricultural practices for the benefit of local communities, farm workers, farmers, consumers and tropical wildlife. Certification standards cover all aspects of production including environmental protection, human welfare and economic vitality.

http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/programs/cap/faq.html

The Ruminant Livestock Efficiency Program (RLEP) encourages management strategies that improve production efficiency and result in lower emissions of greenhouse gases per unit of milk or meat produced. The program focuses on assisting livestock producers to provide forage of higher quality through improved forage production and grazing management. Many of the practices recommended by the RLEP for improving forage production remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by storing carbon in the soil as organic matter.

http://www.epa.gov/rlep

REPS (Rural Environment Protection Scheme), is a Scheme designed to reward Farmers for carrying our their farming activities in an environmentally friendly manner and to bring about environmental improvement on existing farms. The objectives of the Scheme are to: Establish farming practices and production methods which reflect the increasing concern for conservation, landscape protection and wider environmental problems; Protect wildlife habitats and endangered species of flora and fauna; Produce quality food in an extensive and environmentally friendly manner

http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=areasofi/reps.xml

The Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program was established under the 1996 Farm Bill to provide grants to nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher education for the primary purpose of improving the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives. Emphasis is placed on those projects with high potential to improve rural business activity through the cooperative form of business. This program offers technical assistance through regional cooperative development centers to establish rural cooperatives of all kinds, including programs pertaining to agriculture. Sustainable agriculture, organic production and marketing and value-added initiatives are eligible to compete for funding. The program emphasizes projects that build capacity for longer-term cooperative development.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/Rural_Coop.php

The Social Accountability in Sustainable Agriculture (SASA) project is a collaboration between FLO, SAI, SAN and IFOAM, and aims to improve social auditing processes in sustainable agriculture and increase co-operation between the various certification system initiatives to reduce producer and consumer confusion. The Web site explains the need for the project, and provides information on the four participating


initiatives, the 12 pilot audits, and provides project updates and documentation, including details of how to participate in the SASA project.

http://www.isealalliance.org/sasa/

Soil and Water Conservation Assistance (SWCA) provides cost share and incentive payments to farmers and ranchers to voluntarily address threats to soil, water, and related natural resources, including grazing land, wetlands, and wildlife habitat. SWCA will help landowners comply with Federal and state environmental laws and make beneficial, cost-effective changes to cropping systems, grazing management, nutrient management, and irrigation.

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/swca/

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

Since it was funded in 1988, the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has sponsored hundreds of projects to explore and apply economically profitable, environmentally sound and socially supporting farming systems. On-farm research trials involving producer collaboration with scientists have been a component of many SARE-funded projects since the program's inception. Recognizing producer interest was growing, SARE's North Central Region began directly fund ing farmers and ranchers in 1992. By 1995, each SARE regional administrative council had picked up the idea, offering grants that typically run between $500 and $5,000. Producer grants are available annually, with application deadlines generally in late fa ll or early winter

http://www.sare.org/htdocs/sare/producerGrants.html

The purpose of the Sustainable Farming Fund (the Fund) is to support projects that will contribute to improving the financial and environmental performance of the land-based productive sectors. The Fund aims to help the land based sectors solve problems and take up opportunities to overcome barriers to economic, social and environmental viability. It will do this by bringing together “communities of interest”. These are groups of people drawn together by a shared problem and/or opportunity in the sustainable use of resources.

http://www.maf.govt.nz/sff/criteria/index.htm

Trees Forever Iowa Buffer Initiative Partnering with Trees Forever, a private, Iowa-based non-profit organization, the initiative is an exciting program that is showing farmers and rural landowners how stream side buffers of trees, shrubs and grasses improve water quality by reducing soil erosion. The five-year, $2 million initiative will establish 100 demonstration and project sites throughout the state of Iowa that showcase flexible approaches to establishing and maintaining streamside buffers. It will also develop a network of buffer specialists and


provide recognition of those farmers who use streamside buffers. Novartis is a corporate partner.

http://www.treesforever.org/what/iabuffer.htm

The Value-Added Agricultural Producer Grants Program (formerly known as the Value-Added Development Grants - VADG) is a competitive grants program administered by USDA's Rural Business Cooperative Service that makes funds available each year to help producers enter into value-added activities. The program is administered through State USDA Rural Development offices. Individual producers, cooperatives, farm alliances and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures are encouraged to apply. Grants are awarded for both the marketing and processing of an agricultural product. Hard-won language was adopted in the farm bill to qualify how an item is grown or raised (e.g. grass- fed, free range, organic, etc.) as value-added.

http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/Value_Added.php

The Vocational Training Scheme offers grants of up to 75% of eligible costs for training that contributes to an improvement in the occupational skills of farmers and others involved in forestry and farming activities and their conversion. An external consultation on proposed improvements to increase uptake of the Vocational Training Scheme is planned for April following the Policy Commission's recommendation that it should be simplified. Details will be made available as soon as possible.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/training/default.htm

Wetland Mitigation Banking

Wetland mitigation banking offers an attractive third option for the farmer and the environment. In this program, a bank sponsor restores a large wetland complex and is responsible for coordinating with the regulatory agencies, acquiring land, developing the site, managing the wetland and assuring its success. A farmer who desires to tile a jurisdictional farmed wetland can simply purchase a "credit" at the bank to satisfy mitigation requirements allowing him to perform his project legally. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is sponsoring Iowa's first agricultural wetland mitigation bank, working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as a partner and with significant technical assistance from the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service.


Wetland Habitat Fund

The Wetland Habitat Fund (WHF) provides private landowners with financial assistance for projects that improve the ecological integrity of wetland habitats. The WHF is directly supported by Wildlife Habitat Canada, the Province of Ontario and internationally by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan partners.


http://www.wetlandfund.com/english.htm

The Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) provides cost sharing funds for farmers who develop habitat for upland and wetland wildlife, threatened and endangered species, fish and other wildlife

http://www.ibiblio.org/farming-connection/farmpoli/features/makesens/whip.htm


End Notes 1 Shifting cultivation was a common practice for many cultures on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. The process of burning forests and cultivating the cleared area for a short time before moving to a different patch allowed for continuous agricultural production for millennia. Today, approximately 500 million people, in 90 tropical countries make their living in this way (Lamprecht, 1989 p. 96). Similarly, there are archaeological examples of extremely intensive agriculture that do not seem to have led to major environmental problems in many parts of the world (Altieri, 1990, p. 158). 2 For example, current theory suggests that environmental collapse decimated both Mayan and the Easter Island civilization: “The history of Easter Island is not one of lost civilisations and esoteric knowledge. Rather it is a striking example of the dependence of human societies on their environment and of the consequences of irreversibly damaging that environment. It is the story of a people who, starting from an extremely limited resource base, constructed one of the most advanced societies in the world for the technology they had available. However, the demands placed on the environment of the island by this development were immense. When it could no longer withstand the pressure, the society that had been painfully built up over the previous thousand years fell with it.” See: http://www.eco-action.org/dt/eisland.html 3 The environmental economics literature helps us understand how economic forces fail to recognize environmental costs in agriculture. This literature uses economic concepts like externalities, public goods, and discount rates to explore how economic decision-making can fail to take environmental degradation into account. 4 When the market fails to include the costs of pollution or land degradation, there are incentives to undermine the environment. There are three over-arching types of market failure: (1) a high discount rate leads resource managers to adopt a short term planning horizon. (2) negative externalities occur when the cost of pollution is not factored into the price consumers pay for a product, and (3) if environmental services are public goods resource managers will not be able to profit from them. 5 This voluntary program helps producers respond to the specific water quality concerns on their individual farms by providing financial and technical assistance. http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?Sec=25&Sub1=0&sub2=0 6 The Sustainable Agriculture Program, through market development, on-farm assistance and training, and public education seeks to assist family farmers in making a comfortable living from their land. To this end, ASD encourages organic farming - a method of raising crops and animals that is both gentler on the natural environment and more profitable for the farmer. http://www.appsusdev.org/susag.html

7 Membership in PESP includes (1) Partners: Organizations that use pesticides or represent pesticide users and (2) Supporters: Organizations that do not use pesticides, but have significant influence over the pest management practices of pesticide users. (Food processors, for example, may influence the use of pesticides on produce they buy, even though they do not apply pesticides to the produce themselves.) Supporters may also include public interest groups whose constituencies have a strong interest in pesticide risk reduction. PESP was started by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1994.

http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/PESP/index.htm

8 Sticks are mostly off farm- In many cases, the authority to penalize farmers for unsustainable practices stems from Laws or policies not explicitly related to farming. For instance, the Fish Protection Act (BC Government) derives from the needs of the Fishing industry, yet entails certain restrictions on farming activity. 9 E.g., the Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act, the Pesticides Act and the Farm Food Practices Act).http://www.georgemorris.org/NMOnandABSpecialReport0102FINALCCB.pdf


10 See the Christian Farmers Organization Policy Brief. http://www.christianfarmers.org/policy/CFFO%20Response%20to%20Phase%20Two%20Regulations%20Under%20t.PDF 11 See the recent Oxfam report “Small Farms: The Optimum Sustainable Agriculture Model.” April 19, 2002. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/advocacy/art2570.html 12 See the full article on the American Farm Bureau Website http://www.fb.com/news/nr/nr2003/nr0718.html (July 18, 2003). 13 The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is a unique and exciting initiative that provides payments for producers who historically have practiced good stewardship on their agricultural lands, and incentives for those who want to do more. The program is being administered by the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The philosophy behind CSP is that it is a way to reward farmers for doing a good job of conservation on working farmland, as well as for implementing new practices that improve land stewardship still further. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html 14 Through its seal of approval (eco-label) program, MWFA seeks to: recognize the great stewardship of local farms, raise consumer awareness of these farms and the foods they produce, and reinforce that participating in a farm-food-consumer alliance is necessary to ensuring the health and sustainability of our communities. http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_mwfa.html 15 http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/ofs/default.htm

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