SEEPIA researchers have created a study summarising the results of research into farmers’ preferences for agri-environmental contracts to conserve biodiversity on arable land.
A survey was carried out among farmers in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic to answer the question whether farmers prefer a payment per hectare if certain procedures are followed (the current scheme in the Czech Republic, for example) or a payment based on results (expertly measured biodiversity on arable land and payment received on this basis).
The conclusions show that survey respondents among Czech farmers preferred practice-based agri-environmental contracts, i.e. payment per hectare if certain procedures are followed, and on the contrary, they preferred the status quo (i.e. no contract) compared to a result-based contract.
The results of the work can have a direct impact on the formulation of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, as the establishment of appropriate, well-balanced contracts can lead to a more environmentally friendly use of land. Moreover, properly designed economic support instruments can ensure the sustainability of biodiverse agriculture and increase their effectiveness.
The study is available (only in Czech) here.
Text: Zuzana Rajchlová
