Fundaţia ADEPT Transilvania

Madrid 29 September 2015

Promoting viability of agricultural communities to protect

a Natura 2000 landscape

Târnava Mare:one of Romania’s largest

farmland Natura 2000 sites

→

A lowland area of high biodiversity, 85.000ha farmed by 5.000 families in small-scale farming communities

Tens of thousands of hectares of grassland and forest

habitats, and many HD/WBD Annex species

Some of the most important wildflower-

rich lowland haymeadows in Europe …

…. and areas of mosaic landscape with wildflower-rich haymeadows, trees and scrub offering

biodiversity connectivity and refuges

…with associated wildlife of European

importance

Resistance to flooding,

fires, climate change Low energy agriculture

Low energy villages Short supply chains

Pollination Carbon

sequestration Agro-

biodiversity

Biodiversity Clean air, clean

water Food quality

Food security Nature tourism

Why are these landscapes important?

Public Goods

Who created these landscapes? Farm sizes in Romania

• 2.7 m holdings <1ha, 35% of UAA

• 900,000 holdings 1-5 ha, 15% UAA

• 150,000 holdings 5-10ha, 40% UAA

Challenge: can traditional land management in

Romania offer a livelihood to small-scale farmers?

If so, much of this biodiversity will be indirectly

protected

E.g.: collapse of cow numbers (~25% in 5 years)

Each cow = 1ha of meadow habitat maintained

Up to 50% of hay meadows abandoned

The biodiversity of the area comes from

traditional land management.

Transylvania present

• Scenarios: Joern Fischer et al., 2014. How

will this landscape look in 30 years’ time?

Our land, their wealth

• Policy: pro-economy, low emphasis on environment

• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: low

Prosperity through growth

• Policy: pro-economy, low emphasis environment

• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: high

Missed opportunity

• Policy: pro-environment, low emphasis on

economy

• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: low

Balance brings beauty

• Policy: pro-environment, low emphasis economy

• Ability of locals to capitalise on opportunities: high

• In 2005-6 we designed Romania’s first HNV grassland

agri-environment scheme.

• Scheme launched nationally in 2008. Participation of

Târnava Mare area farmers in the agri-environment

scheme was five times higher than regional average.

Local: 1,390 small farmers on 17,641 ha

National: 230,000 farmers on 1.1m ha

What has ADEPT done?

1. WORKING WITH MINISTRY

Developing CAP payments

Simple schemes keeping farmers on the land Dark green or light green?

• These shepherds get €90 /ha basic grassland a-e payments

+ €58 ha non-mechanisation + €100/ha direct payments =

total €282 per ha per year

• They are not changing their behaviour. But without a-e

payments they would not continue.

Preventing change = Opportunity costs

Paying for change = income foregone + additional costs

Paying for farmers’ time = Transaction costs (20% – 30%)

….. dark green or light green.

Now Natura 2000 related measures becoming more species-specific.

Beware exporting W. European approaches to E. Europe!

Carrying out

conservation/restoration of

important grassland habitats

under EU LIFE+. Hundreds of

ha brought under FCS

2. Working with innovators

LIFE STIPA

Support of Martin

Brielmaier

3. Working with farmers. Maintaining

haymeadows by improving the market for milk

↑ hygiene, ↑ prices for farmers

Milk Collection Points serving over 170 farmers, and over 700 cows, €40.000/year additional income

Biodiversity impact: Maintaining 1-2000 ha of grass by grazing/mowing in each village

4. Consumers. Markets and diversification

Farmers markets

€150,000 / year

70 producers

Apps

SMS

Area branding

Mountain bike trails linking

producers and guest

houses

10-fold increase to

€110,000 income

10,000 visitors

• Working with farmers to maintain management patterns –

Innovate – information, training, new machinery ideas

Use real benefits to create associations: critical mass for markets

Practical design of a-e measures – farmers are necessary!

• Practical experience on the ground strengthens policy advocacy

• Understand the CAP – boring but important!

Lessons learned

2014: 1st prize in EU for bringing

most benefits to communities in

a protected area

2012 and 2013: 1st prize in EU for

innovative communication with

farmers

Multumesc pentru

atentie!

Fundatia ADEPT

Transilvania

www.fundatia-adept.org