Demonstration centres for organic farming are an important tool in fostering further development ... more Demonstration centres for organic farming are an important tool in fostering further development of organic farming in the region of Central and Eastern Europe in general and Bulgaria in particular. These centres of excellence can initiate change and provide research, education and demonstration services, as well as policy advise.
In the period 2002-2004, the Netherlands Government's Pin-Matra programme funded an internati... more In the period 2002-2004, the Netherlands Government's Pin-Matra programme funded an international project aiming to support the introduction of an agri-environment programme (AE) in Croatia. The project resulted in proposals for national and pilot agri-environment programmes. The project addressed key actors working on agri-environmental issues in Croatia, such as government representatives, scientists, farmers, environmental and nature conservation NGOs. An AE Programme has been operating in the EU since 1992. Today it is the only obligatory measure under the EU Rural Development Regulation. The costs of the AE programmes are part-financed from the EU budget and partly from national budgets. The programme is based on voluntary agreements between farmers and public authorities and currently covers some 25% of agricultural land in the EU. The AE schemes have become an important policy instrument for protecting the environment and maintaining biodiversity on EU agricultural land. At present Croatia still does not have the appropriate legislative framework needed to facilitate an AE programme. However, Croatia has been working to improve this situation: a Code of Good Agricultural Practices and a National Programme for Agriculture and Rural Areas are soon to be adopted. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management runs a comprehensive agricultural support scheme for farmers. However, 98% of this budget is devoted to production-linked direct payments, while support for rural development is limited to only 0.4% of the total agricultural aid budget. Except for subsidies for organic farming and local breeds, currently there are no other financial provisions for environmentally friendly farming in Croatia. Responsibility for environmental and nature protection in Croatia is divided between three ministries: the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management; the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Spatial Planning and Construction; and the Ministry of Culture (nature protection). There are a number of opportunities for the introduction of an agri-environment programme in Croatia, notably the political climate and Croatia's aspirations to join the EU. However, there are also some obstacles. A particular problem is the high level of the current direct payments. In order to be attractive enough, the AE subsidies would have to be high as well. The Croatian agricultural sector has two parallel production systems: private family farms and agricultural companies. Private farming constitutes the core of the agricultural sector of Croatia. The recent agricultural census, satellite images and the Ministry of Agriculture's Farm Register indicate that the agricultural area utilised in Croatia is nearly three times smaller than the agricultural area recorded in official statistics. According to these figures, Croatia has only 0.18 ha of arable land per capita, which puts it in the group of countries with a critical land per capita ratio. This is also one of the reasons why Croatia is a great food importer and is self-sufficient in only five agricultural products. Agriculture is by far the biggest single influence on the Croatian environment and countryside. Croatia practices bipolar agriculture: high-input in regions with intensive arable farming and low-input farming in less favoured areas, most of which are karst regions. The environmental impact of Croatian agriculture is much greater than usually believed. Croatia is a heavy user of mineral fertilisers and pesticides. With an average consumption of 260 kg of nutrients and 4.1 kg of pesticide active ingredients per ha of arable land in the last five years, Croatia significantly exceeds the EU average. Agri-chemicals are applied only on arable land and permanent crops. Most Croatian farms practice very narrow crop rotation, resulting in a number of environmental problems and a decline in biodiversity. Soil erosion is a significant problem, although the biggest one seems to be land abandonment. Shrubs and forest-like vegetation are rapidly invading a vast area of Croatian agricultural land, notably species-rich grassland. The Croatian AE programme is designed to contribute to environmental and nature protection and the countryside. It will encourage farmers to continue practising environmentally friendly measures or introduce those that are not economically attractive, but essential from the environmental and biodiversity point of view. In this respect, the Programme is an instrument through which Croatian society rewards farmers for the public goods and services they provide (clean water and air, fertile soil, rich biodiversity, appealing landscape, etc.). Through the AE payments, Croatian society would reward farmers for the public goods and services they provide, as the value of this is not recognised by the market. The Agri-Environment Programme has been designed to respond to two major problems that Croatia faces concerning agriculture, and…
This report is the product of a ten-day mission to Afghanistan, which took place in June 2009. It... more This report is the product of a ten-day mission to Afghanistan, which took place in June 2009. It was organized within the framework of ASMED (Afghanistan Small and Medium Economic Development) - a USAID-funded project, implemented by DAI (Development Alternatives, Inc.). The mission's objective was to initiate the development and support the establishment of an organic product value chain in Afghanistan and identify organic business opportunities that could lead to export. The mission consisted of a two-member consultant team: Martien Lankester, executive director of Avalon (a Netherlands-based, international foundation supporting organic farming in transition countries) and Darko Znaor, an independent organic farming consultant from Croatia working with Avalon as an associated expert. The mission output is this report containing findings and recommendations for the follow up steps required to strengthen the development of organic business and organic scene in Afghanistan. Afghan agriculture is at the crossroads, trying to recover from the damage caused by the three decades of fighting and seven years of drought. Afghanistan has a total agricultural area of 38 million ha, of which grassland accounts for 79%. Small-scale family farms with irrigated cropping supplemented by livestock prevail in Afghanistan. Most farms are in the range of 2-5 hectares, although many farms are smaller than 2 hectares. The major crops produced in Afghanistan are corn, rice, barley, wheat and vegetables. However, the country is well known for its production and export of raisins, dry fruits and nuts. More than 80% of Afghanistan's livestock production consists of extensive sheep herding and goat herding. Water is the most limiting factor in determining crop and livestock production in Afghanistan. Due to limited rainfall, Afghan agriculture completely depends on erratic winter snows and spring rains providing water. In many parts of Afghanistan soil fertility is depleted due to overgrazing, deforestation and desertification. Severe overgrazing combined with the recent drought has resulted in a decrease of the livestock population. The reduction and lack of ground cover on hillsides has led to floods and widespread soil erosion. In many regions erosion has increased and soil organic matter has decreased. This contributes to the overall degradation of ecosystems, which can be noticed in many parts of Afghanistan. . In spite of claims and the widespread belief that Afghanistan hardly uses any fertilizers and pesticides, information from recent reports suggests widespread use of these agents in arable, fruit and vegetable production. The annual fertilizer consumption is approximately 273,750 t nutrients, which is equivalent to 35 kg of nutrients per hectare of arable land. Nearly 150 active ingredients of pesticides are available in Afghan urban and rural farm stores. The figures and analysis on Afghan fertilizer and pesticide consumption presented in this report challenge the validity of the outdated data available in some international databases. They also suggest that fertilizer (and perhaps pesticide) consumption per hectare of arable land in Afghanistan is comparable to that of some economically more developed countries, e.g. New EU Member States. Afghanistan is the world’s most important producer of opium poppy, providing approximately 90% of the world’s opium poppy supply. Cultivation of opium poppies is by far the most profitable agricultural activity in Afghanistan. The total area planted with poppies appears to be around 200,000 ha, occupying about 3% of cultivated land. The opium poppy allows many poor rural Afghan families to survive and gain access to land and credit and generate cash income. The poppy is a multi-purpose crop; is easy to grow and no other crop gives such high revenue. Organic farming is an agricultural system, which excludes agro-chemical inputs (industrial fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, veterinary medicine, etc.) and genetic engineering. The production is governed by a set of standards and legislation and controlled by government (or other) approved inspection and certifying bodies. Organic farming is a rapidly growing sector. Globally, some 700,000 farmers practice this method and more than 30 million hectares are being managed organically. The organic food and drinks market is constantly growing and the value of the global organic market is currently approximately $45 billion, of which Europe accounts for 52%. Afghanistan is currently one of the very few countries in which the organic farming concept and practice have not found their place yet. Consequently, the country has been lagging in developing an organic market and taking part in the booming international organic market (exporting). Organic farming is relatively unknown in Afghanistan and currently there are very few business initiatives directed towards organic food and agriculture. With the exception of a few liters of rose oil, no…
The urge for more sustainable agriculture is increasingly recognized by the various parts of soci... more The urge for more sustainable agriculture is increasingly recognized by the various parts of society (producers, consumers, scientists, policy makers, etc.). But in order to realize sustainable agriculture in practice it is not sufficient to change only the on-farm agricultural practices. Present socio-economic and political paradigms also need a change so that these can be able to support implementation of sustainable agriculture. The concept of Demonstration Centres for Applied Agricultural Sustainability (DCAAS) offers an interesting concept and operative tool for changes not only at the farm level. Well designed and professionally organized DCAAS don't have a potential to demonstrate only "excellence" of sustainable agricultural production in practice but can also at the same time serve as centres performing research and education activities. In other words DCAASs are the places of demonstration, information, inspiration and enabling for different target groups (e.g. students, agronomists, farmers, consumers, policy makers, etc.). Several demonstration centres for sustainable agriculture are already under the operation in several countries and have proved to be powerful catalysts for change. Therefore it is not surprising that several international institutions have increased their interest in such like centres and started investing some money in their establishment. Among most recent of these efforts is the joint venture of the EU PHARE programme and the Danube Environmental Programme which initiated and financed setting up of three demonstration centres for sustainable agriculture in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. All three centres have to be managed in accordance to the Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 for organic agriculture. The concept and activities developed around these centres will be discussed since it is hoped that these can have a great influence on dissemination of sustainable agriculture ideas as well as on the general agricultural policy in these countries.
Introduction Most agricultural operations, such as soil tillage, manuring, grazing, and irrigatio... more Introduction Most agricultural operations, such as soil tillage, manuring, grazing, and irrigation, pose a serious threat to water quality. Agriculture is a heavy water user and a serious water polluter (nutrients, pesticides, salts, pathogens, heavy metals, oxygen-depleting and radioactive substances, etc.). In addition, agriculture threatens water habitats. The UN “Convention for the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes” ratified at Helsinki in 1992 obliges the signatory countries to further prevent, control and reduce water pollution from point and non-point sources. The implementation of the Convention is co-ordinated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe. In October 1999, this organisation commissioned a study aimed at assessing the status of implementation of regulatory and policy instruments to protect European waters from the consequences of agricultural practices. Material and methods The study (Znaor, 1999) involved nine European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia), as well as several regional (international) programmes, such as EU, Baltic Sea, Danube River Basin and the Black Sea programmes. The information needed to analyse the existing national and international policies and their implementation was obtained through a survey using a specially developed questionnaire. The answers were provided by a number of high governmental officials from the ministries of agriculture, environment and/or water management of the reviewed countries and the respected international organisations. The survey was complemented with information collected through a literature study. Because of its potential to reduce the water pollution caused by agricultural practices, the policy instruments to promote organic farming have been given special attention in the study. Results and discussion The study showed that (i) although all surveyed countries have special legislation and policy instruments on protecting water from the consequences of agricultural practices, their implementation is unsatisfactory; (ii) thirteen out of fifteen EU countries failed in complying with the EU Nitrate Directive (in mid December 1999, only Denmark and Finland entirely complied with the Directive); (iii) only four out of nine countries surveyed have specific regulations and policies to support organic agriculture; (iv) the officials contacted assess organic farming to an agricultural method with the least pollution risk. The main obstacles for carrying out the above-mentioned convention are the weak institutional arrangements and the lack of appropriate policy instruments stimulating good agricultural practices. The convention is best implemented in the countries with both well-established national co-ordination between responsible ministries and operating subsidies for “water-friendly” farming. The subsidies that are provided within the framework of the agri-environmental programme in the EU, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia are great tools in enhancing conversion to organic agriculture. Conclusions The economic policy instruments were found to be most fundamental for change to organic farming. In order to encourage farmers (voluntarily) to participate in programs that minimise water pollution, the financial incentives for these programmes have to be as stimulating as other agricultural programmes designed to encourage high-input agriculture. The experience of several countries suggests that "green taxes" on fertilisers and pesticides higher than 100% would have a better impact on conversion to organic farming than the combination of conversion subsidies and low "green taxes". This is because the "green taxes" affect 95-99% of the farmer population, while the conversion subsidies offer incentives to a few farmers who belong to the group of pioneers and early adopters. Organic agriculture can be a great help for the EU countries in complying with the Nitrate Directive. A “policy-led” development based on appropriate regulations and economic instruments are central to foster further expansion of organic agriculture throughout Europe. References Znaor, D. (1999). Regulatory and policy instruments to protect European waters from agricultural activities: status of their implementation. ETC, Leusden and UN Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva, 77 pp.
This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable... more This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments. The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly? Cooperation of the scientific experts with those involved in the practical side, and alternating plenary reporting with subgroup visits to farms in the rural landscapes of the participants' countries, allowed for the development of some truly interdisciplinary teamwork. Organic agriculture has been included to find out how organic agriculture contributes to the rural landscape. Checklist’s compliance with other standards for organic/sustainable agriculture present an attempt to check the conformity of the standards for the development of sustainable landscapes developed in this publication with some other standards for organic and sustainable agriculture: 1. IFOAM = (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements): Basic Standards for Organic Agriculture and Processing and Guidelines for Coffee, Cocoa and Tea; Evaluation of Inputs decided by the IFOAM General Assembly at Copenha¬gen/Denmark, August 1996. 2. EU = Official Journal of the European Communities: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 of June 24 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. 3. Vereijken, Kabourakis refer to the standards developed within the research network on integrated and ecological arable farming systems for EU and associated countries (Concerted Action AIR 3-CT920755), of which some are presented in the corresponding chapters in this book)
This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable... more This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments. The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly? Cooperation of the scientific experts with those involved in the practical side, and alternating plenary reporting with subgroup visits to farms in the rural landscapes of the participants' countries, allowed for the development of some truly interdisciplinary teamwork. Organic agriculture has been included to find out how organic agriculture contributes to the rural landscape. Checklist’s compliance with other standards for organic/sustainable agriculture present an attempt to check the conformity of the standards for the development of sustainable landscapes developed in this publication with some other standards for organic and sustainable agriculture: 1. IFOAM = (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements): Basic Standards for Organic Agriculture and Processing and Guidelines for Coffee, Cocoa and Tea; Evaluation of Inputs decided by the IFOAM General Assembly at Copenha¬gen/Denmark, August 1996. 2. EU = Official Journal of the European Communities: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 of June 24 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. 3. Vereijken, Kabourakis refer to the standards developed within the research network on integrated and ecological arable farming systems for EU and associated countries (Concerted Action AIR 3-CT920755), of which some are presented in the corresponding chapters in this book)
This paper provides an overview of the potential environmental, economic and social benefits of o... more This paper provides an overview of the potential environmental, economic and social benefits of organic farming for the Croatian rural areas. It also discusses the concept and philosophy of organic farming, its yields, environmental and economic performance.
Demonstration centres for organic farming are an important tool in fostering further development ... more Demonstration centres for organic farming are an important tool in fostering further development of organic farming in the region of Central and Eastern Europe in general and Bulgaria in particular. These centres of excellence can initiate change and provide research, education and demonstration services, as well as policy advise.
In the period 2002-2004, the Netherlands Government's Pin-Matra programme funded an internati... more In the period 2002-2004, the Netherlands Government's Pin-Matra programme funded an international project aiming to support the introduction of an agri-environment programme (AE) in Croatia. The project resulted in proposals for national and pilot agri-environment programmes. The project addressed key actors working on agri-environmental issues in Croatia, such as government representatives, scientists, farmers, environmental and nature conservation NGOs. An AE Programme has been operating in the EU since 1992. Today it is the only obligatory measure under the EU Rural Development Regulation. The costs of the AE programmes are part-financed from the EU budget and partly from national budgets. The programme is based on voluntary agreements between farmers and public authorities and currently covers some 25% of agricultural land in the EU. The AE schemes have become an important policy instrument for protecting the environment and maintaining biodiversity on EU agricultural land. At present Croatia still does not have the appropriate legislative framework needed to facilitate an AE programme. However, Croatia has been working to improve this situation: a Code of Good Agricultural Practices and a National Programme for Agriculture and Rural Areas are soon to be adopted. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management runs a comprehensive agricultural support scheme for farmers. However, 98% of this budget is devoted to production-linked direct payments, while support for rural development is limited to only 0.4% of the total agricultural aid budget. Except for subsidies for organic farming and local breeds, currently there are no other financial provisions for environmentally friendly farming in Croatia. Responsibility for environmental and nature protection in Croatia is divided between three ministries: the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management; the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Spatial Planning and Construction; and the Ministry of Culture (nature protection). There are a number of opportunities for the introduction of an agri-environment programme in Croatia, notably the political climate and Croatia's aspirations to join the EU. However, there are also some obstacles. A particular problem is the high level of the current direct payments. In order to be attractive enough, the AE subsidies would have to be high as well. The Croatian agricultural sector has two parallel production systems: private family farms and agricultural companies. Private farming constitutes the core of the agricultural sector of Croatia. The recent agricultural census, satellite images and the Ministry of Agriculture's Farm Register indicate that the agricultural area utilised in Croatia is nearly three times smaller than the agricultural area recorded in official statistics. According to these figures, Croatia has only 0.18 ha of arable land per capita, which puts it in the group of countries with a critical land per capita ratio. This is also one of the reasons why Croatia is a great food importer and is self-sufficient in only five agricultural products. Agriculture is by far the biggest single influence on the Croatian environment and countryside. Croatia practices bipolar agriculture: high-input in regions with intensive arable farming and low-input farming in less favoured areas, most of which are karst regions. The environmental impact of Croatian agriculture is much greater than usually believed. Croatia is a heavy user of mineral fertilisers and pesticides. With an average consumption of 260 kg of nutrients and 4.1 kg of pesticide active ingredients per ha of arable land in the last five years, Croatia significantly exceeds the EU average. Agri-chemicals are applied only on arable land and permanent crops. Most Croatian farms practice very narrow crop rotation, resulting in a number of environmental problems and a decline in biodiversity. Soil erosion is a significant problem, although the biggest one seems to be land abandonment. Shrubs and forest-like vegetation are rapidly invading a vast area of Croatian agricultural land, notably species-rich grassland. The Croatian AE programme is designed to contribute to environmental and nature protection and the countryside. It will encourage farmers to continue practising environmentally friendly measures or introduce those that are not economically attractive, but essential from the environmental and biodiversity point of view. In this respect, the Programme is an instrument through which Croatian society rewards farmers for the public goods and services they provide (clean water and air, fertile soil, rich biodiversity, appealing landscape, etc.). Through the AE payments, Croatian society would reward farmers for the public goods and services they provide, as the value of this is not recognised by the market. The Agri-Environment Programme has been designed to respond to two major problems that Croatia faces concerning agriculture, and…
This report is the product of a ten-day mission to Afghanistan, which took place in June 2009. It... more This report is the product of a ten-day mission to Afghanistan, which took place in June 2009. It was organized within the framework of ASMED (Afghanistan Small and Medium Economic Development) - a USAID-funded project, implemented by DAI (Development Alternatives, Inc.). The mission's objective was to initiate the development and support the establishment of an organic product value chain in Afghanistan and identify organic business opportunities that could lead to export. The mission consisted of a two-member consultant team: Martien Lankester, executive director of Avalon (a Netherlands-based, international foundation supporting organic farming in transition countries) and Darko Znaor, an independent organic farming consultant from Croatia working with Avalon as an associated expert. The mission output is this report containing findings and recommendations for the follow up steps required to strengthen the development of organic business and organic scene in Afghanistan. Afghan agriculture is at the crossroads, trying to recover from the damage caused by the three decades of fighting and seven years of drought. Afghanistan has a total agricultural area of 38 million ha, of which grassland accounts for 79%. Small-scale family farms with irrigated cropping supplemented by livestock prevail in Afghanistan. Most farms are in the range of 2-5 hectares, although many farms are smaller than 2 hectares. The major crops produced in Afghanistan are corn, rice, barley, wheat and vegetables. However, the country is well known for its production and export of raisins, dry fruits and nuts. More than 80% of Afghanistan's livestock production consists of extensive sheep herding and goat herding. Water is the most limiting factor in determining crop and livestock production in Afghanistan. Due to limited rainfall, Afghan agriculture completely depends on erratic winter snows and spring rains providing water. In many parts of Afghanistan soil fertility is depleted due to overgrazing, deforestation and desertification. Severe overgrazing combined with the recent drought has resulted in a decrease of the livestock population. The reduction and lack of ground cover on hillsides has led to floods and widespread soil erosion. In many regions erosion has increased and soil organic matter has decreased. This contributes to the overall degradation of ecosystems, which can be noticed in many parts of Afghanistan. . In spite of claims and the widespread belief that Afghanistan hardly uses any fertilizers and pesticides, information from recent reports suggests widespread use of these agents in arable, fruit and vegetable production. The annual fertilizer consumption is approximately 273,750 t nutrients, which is equivalent to 35 kg of nutrients per hectare of arable land. Nearly 150 active ingredients of pesticides are available in Afghan urban and rural farm stores. The figures and analysis on Afghan fertilizer and pesticide consumption presented in this report challenge the validity of the outdated data available in some international databases. They also suggest that fertilizer (and perhaps pesticide) consumption per hectare of arable land in Afghanistan is comparable to that of some economically more developed countries, e.g. New EU Member States. Afghanistan is the world’s most important producer of opium poppy, providing approximately 90% of the world’s opium poppy supply. Cultivation of opium poppies is by far the most profitable agricultural activity in Afghanistan. The total area planted with poppies appears to be around 200,000 ha, occupying about 3% of cultivated land. The opium poppy allows many poor rural Afghan families to survive and gain access to land and credit and generate cash income. The poppy is a multi-purpose crop; is easy to grow and no other crop gives such high revenue. Organic farming is an agricultural system, which excludes agro-chemical inputs (industrial fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, veterinary medicine, etc.) and genetic engineering. The production is governed by a set of standards and legislation and controlled by government (or other) approved inspection and certifying bodies. Organic farming is a rapidly growing sector. Globally, some 700,000 farmers practice this method and more than 30 million hectares are being managed organically. The organic food and drinks market is constantly growing and the value of the global organic market is currently approximately $45 billion, of which Europe accounts for 52%. Afghanistan is currently one of the very few countries in which the organic farming concept and practice have not found their place yet. Consequently, the country has been lagging in developing an organic market and taking part in the booming international organic market (exporting). Organic farming is relatively unknown in Afghanistan and currently there are very few business initiatives directed towards organic food and agriculture. With the exception of a few liters of rose oil, no…
The urge for more sustainable agriculture is increasingly recognized by the various parts of soci... more The urge for more sustainable agriculture is increasingly recognized by the various parts of society (producers, consumers, scientists, policy makers, etc.). But in order to realize sustainable agriculture in practice it is not sufficient to change only the on-farm agricultural practices. Present socio-economic and political paradigms also need a change so that these can be able to support implementation of sustainable agriculture. The concept of Demonstration Centres for Applied Agricultural Sustainability (DCAAS) offers an interesting concept and operative tool for changes not only at the farm level. Well designed and professionally organized DCAAS don't have a potential to demonstrate only "excellence" of sustainable agricultural production in practice but can also at the same time serve as centres performing research and education activities. In other words DCAASs are the places of demonstration, information, inspiration and enabling for different target groups (e.g. students, agronomists, farmers, consumers, policy makers, etc.). Several demonstration centres for sustainable agriculture are already under the operation in several countries and have proved to be powerful catalysts for change. Therefore it is not surprising that several international institutions have increased their interest in such like centres and started investing some money in their establishment. Among most recent of these efforts is the joint venture of the EU PHARE programme and the Danube Environmental Programme which initiated and financed setting up of three demonstration centres for sustainable agriculture in Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. All three centres have to be managed in accordance to the Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 for organic agriculture. The concept and activities developed around these centres will be discussed since it is hoped that these can have a great influence on dissemination of sustainable agriculture ideas as well as on the general agricultural policy in these countries.
Introduction Most agricultural operations, such as soil tillage, manuring, grazing, and irrigatio... more Introduction Most agricultural operations, such as soil tillage, manuring, grazing, and irrigation, pose a serious threat to water quality. Agriculture is a heavy water user and a serious water polluter (nutrients, pesticides, salts, pathogens, heavy metals, oxygen-depleting and radioactive substances, etc.). In addition, agriculture threatens water habitats. The UN “Convention for the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes” ratified at Helsinki in 1992 obliges the signatory countries to further prevent, control and reduce water pollution from point and non-point sources. The implementation of the Convention is co-ordinated by the UN Economic Commission for Europe. In October 1999, this organisation commissioned a study aimed at assessing the status of implementation of regulatory and policy instruments to protect European waters from the consequences of agricultural practices. Material and methods The study (Znaor, 1999) involved nine European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Great Britain, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia), as well as several regional (international) programmes, such as EU, Baltic Sea, Danube River Basin and the Black Sea programmes. The information needed to analyse the existing national and international policies and their implementation was obtained through a survey using a specially developed questionnaire. The answers were provided by a number of high governmental officials from the ministries of agriculture, environment and/or water management of the reviewed countries and the respected international organisations. The survey was complemented with information collected through a literature study. Because of its potential to reduce the water pollution caused by agricultural practices, the policy instruments to promote organic farming have been given special attention in the study. Results and discussion The study showed that (i) although all surveyed countries have special legislation and policy instruments on protecting water from the consequences of agricultural practices, their implementation is unsatisfactory; (ii) thirteen out of fifteen EU countries failed in complying with the EU Nitrate Directive (in mid December 1999, only Denmark and Finland entirely complied with the Directive); (iii) only four out of nine countries surveyed have specific regulations and policies to support organic agriculture; (iv) the officials contacted assess organic farming to an agricultural method with the least pollution risk. The main obstacles for carrying out the above-mentioned convention are the weak institutional arrangements and the lack of appropriate policy instruments stimulating good agricultural practices. The convention is best implemented in the countries with both well-established national co-ordination between responsible ministries and operating subsidies for “water-friendly” farming. The subsidies that are provided within the framework of the agri-environmental programme in the EU, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia are great tools in enhancing conversion to organic agriculture. Conclusions The economic policy instruments were found to be most fundamental for change to organic farming. In order to encourage farmers (voluntarily) to participate in programs that minimise water pollution, the financial incentives for these programmes have to be as stimulating as other agricultural programmes designed to encourage high-input agriculture. The experience of several countries suggests that "green taxes" on fertilisers and pesticides higher than 100% would have a better impact on conversion to organic farming than the combination of conversion subsidies and low "green taxes". This is because the "green taxes" affect 95-99% of the farmer population, while the conversion subsidies offer incentives to a few farmers who belong to the group of pioneers and early adopters. Organic agriculture can be a great help for the EU countries in complying with the Nitrate Directive. A “policy-led” development based on appropriate regulations and economic instruments are central to foster further expansion of organic agriculture throughout Europe. References Znaor, D. (1999). Regulatory and policy instruments to protect European waters from agricultural activities: status of their implementation. ETC, Leusden and UN Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva, 77 pp.
This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable... more This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments. The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly? Cooperation of the scientific experts with those involved in the practical side, and alternating plenary reporting with subgroup visits to farms in the rural landscapes of the participants' countries, allowed for the development of some truly interdisciplinary teamwork. Organic agriculture has been included to find out how organic agriculture contributes to the rural landscape. Checklist’s compliance with other standards for organic/sustainable agriculture present an attempt to check the conformity of the standards for the development of sustainable landscapes developed in this publication with some other standards for organic and sustainable agriculture: 1. IFOAM = (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements): Basic Standards for Organic Agriculture and Processing and Guidelines for Coffee, Cocoa and Tea; Evaluation of Inputs decided by the IFOAM General Assembly at Copenha¬gen/Denmark, August 1996. 2. EU = Official Journal of the European Communities: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 of June 24 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. 3. Vereijken, Kabourakis refer to the standards developed within the research network on integrated and ecological arable farming systems for EU and associated countries (Concerted Action AIR 3-CT920755), of which some are presented in the corresponding chapters in this book)
This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable... more This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments. The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly? Cooperation of the scientific experts with those involved in the practical side, and alternating plenary reporting with subgroup visits to farms in the rural landscapes of the participants' countries, allowed for the development of some truly interdisciplinary teamwork. Organic agriculture has been included to find out how organic agriculture contributes to the rural landscape. Checklist’s compliance with other standards for organic/sustainable agriculture present an attempt to check the conformity of the standards for the development of sustainable landscapes developed in this publication with some other standards for organic and sustainable agriculture: 1. IFOAM = (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements): Basic Standards for Organic Agriculture and Processing and Guidelines for Coffee, Cocoa and Tea; Evaluation of Inputs decided by the IFOAM General Assembly at Copenha¬gen/Denmark, August 1996. 2. EU = Official Journal of the European Communities: Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2092/91 of June 24 1991 on organic production of agricultural products and indications referring thereto on agricultural products and foodstuffs. 3. Vereijken, Kabourakis refer to the standards developed within the research network on integrated and ecological arable farming systems for EU and associated countries (Concerted Action AIR 3-CT920755), of which some are presented in the corresponding chapters in this book)
This paper provides an overview of the potential environmental, economic and social benefits of o... more This paper provides an overview of the potential environmental, economic and social benefits of organic farming for the Croatian rural areas. It also discusses the concept and philosophy of organic farming, its yields, environmental and economic performance.
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