More About the Project Background

Climate change and loss of biodiversity are two major environmental concerns that the whole of Europe must respond to. The EC has entered in to binding environmental commitments such as the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol and the UNCBD in response to these pressing issues and has taken a leading role in the international community promoting these agreements. Meeting these commitments will require significant changes in many areas of human activity, including agriculture - the focus of this research. There is considerable synergy between the need to meet these environmental commitments and society's increasing expectations for agriculture. A June 2002 Eurobarometer opinion poll suggested that the majority of Europeans want to see a change in European agricultural policies so that they promote the respect of the environment. This project comes at a critical time therefore as Europe seeks both to meet its environmental obligations on the global stage and respond directly to the demands of its citizens. It is entirely consistent with efforts to define the role of a multifunctional agricultural sector in a changing social, economic and policy climate.

Agriculture on the one hand is amongst those economic sectors contributing to climate change and declines in biodiversity whilst on the other it potentially can offer several means of addressing problems and offering potential solutions. Many modern agricultural practices such as the autumn sowing of cereals, frequent applications of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, intensive rearing of livestock, and large scale irrigation, have significant negative impacts on Europe's natural resources of soil, air, water and biodiversity. In particular, such practices are implicated in climate change where they result in the emission of greenhouse gases and in declines in wildlife species, loss of habitats and declines in the genetic diversity of agricultural plants and animals. It is possible however to adapt agricultural practices to reduce these negative impacts and, in many instances, to deliver positive benefits for the environment. Agricultural land can act as a sink for greenhouse gases, for example, if soil conservation practices are followed, while adopting rotations including spring sown cereals can lead to increases in farmland biodiversity including declining species such as the skylark.

In order to fulfil global environmental agreements and respond to society's demands, major changes will be required in EU farming practices and policies over the next decade and more. Greater attention will need to be focused, particularly through EC policies, on reducing the negative environmental impacts of farming practices while maximising the positive impacts. This project offers a logical and innovative approach to these critical issues by: assessing the relevant legislation; determining the changes in agricultural practice required and considering their broader implications; and, identifying the policies needed to deliver changes in practice. The project should contribute directly to the task of turning global environmental obligations into appropriate EU policies which will lead to actions on the ground and environmental results. Its greatest potential impact should be in informing and supporting this process.

Bringing this work together in an overall strategy will offer a clear road map for the development of future agricultural, rural development, environmental and other policies in the old and new EU Member States. In particular, it will contribute to the longer term development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) both in terms of the First Pillar commodity regimes and the Second Pillar rural development measures. While some specific measures have already been introduced into the CAP in response to biodiversity issues, for example, certain agri-environment measures, relatively little attention has been paid so far to climate change issues. This project is an opportunity to address this gap and identify further measures which could be incorporated into the CAP in future. Particular attention will be given to identifying actions in relation to climate change which are policy relevant, have significant environmental impact and are consistent with a possible cost-benefit analysis. Biodiversity proposals will be concerned both with genetic resources within agriculture and actions which reduce the negative impacts of agriculture on biodiversity and promote the positive impacts.