ANNEX 4

> 10 October 07

Recommendations for conservation and sustainable use of high nature value farmland (HNVF) in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) countries

The expert estimates show that there are large areas of HNVF in the EECCA countries. However, the concept of HNV farmlands is known only by a limited number of experts and (mostly) non-governmental and academic organizations in the region. Moreover, almost no data is available on the distribution of HNV farmlands and only a few good examples for conservation of these lands are known. At the same time agriculture is undergoing serious changes due to the transition from centrally-planned, state-owned and -managed status to market-based (predominantly) private and cooperative forms of management. This will put a significant pressure on the natural resources and areas related to agricultural production. Therefore there are a number of urgent issues that need to be solved in order to ensure that firstly, the HNV farmlands in the EECCA region continue to exist and secondly, the Kiev targets are met by the governments of these countries.

ECO-Forum experts from the EECCA region involved in the project on identification of HNVF recommend:

• To recognize politically and stipulate legally the concept of multifunctionality of agricultural lands and to remove from legislation the provisions that provide for the priority of arable land before other lands;
• To develop a registration system of agricultural lands that takes into consideration their multifunctional significance, the development and introduction into practice of record and reporting forms that allow for identification of HNVF amongst them, and the conditions of natural and semi-natural ecosystems;
• To give concrete responsibility to land-users for the quality of use including for HNVF conservation, and to limit the use within HNVF through tax incentives;
• To raise awareness of decision-makers and the public on national and international significance of HNVF and ecological networks in general for biodiversity conservation as well as on the significance of biodiversity for sustainable development.

As priority tasks, the experts recommend:

• To recognize identification, protection and sustainable use of HNVF as a priority, to speed up the creation of relevant protected areas and ecological networks, firstly for ecosystems such as savannas, steppes and (semi-) deserts using management plans as the management basis;
• To introduce the notion of HNVF and their importance in legislation on protected areas, land, forest and water codes of the EECCA countries and to include HNVF in the issues taken into consideration during territorial planning and environment impact assessment;
• To elaborate urgently and launch management plans for HNVF that are already a part of protected areas;
• To establish a management section or authorities responsible for HNVF conservation and management within the environmental or agricultural bodies in the countries of the region;
• To introduce sections on HNVF in the state programmes on agricultural development and national action plans for biodiversity conservation, and campaigns against desertification and land degradation with established financing for concrete projects;
• To elaborate common methodological basis and to fulfill programs on identification of HNVF in each country of the region;
• To study possibilities and methodologies for land under agri-environmental schemes and less favored land for HNVF’s and also the mechanisms of economic incentives;
• To elaborate requirements for investment policy in agriculture linked to agrobiodiversity conditions as a basis for sustainable development in the agricultural sector, including biodiversity support as one of the main criteria for selection;
• To elaborate and to introduce in current legislation provisions on norms for grazing land and concrete obligations for biodiversity conservation on agricultural lands that are in ownership, use or possession;
• To introduce those provisions, as a rule, through legislative acts taking into consideration the interrelation of different ownership forms (for example, grazing of private livestock on state lands) and also using step by step introduction and tightening of sanctions for breaches;
• To develop the scientific basis for the restoration of biodiversity components in damaged ecosystems and introduce it in financial programmes of environmental and agricultural bodies;
• To define clear tasks and terms for tax and rent policy for biological resource use and conservation;
• To control the procedure or the results of agricultural land privatization –depending on the stage – by the court system for land under nature protection legislation and to take measures for its respect.

It was also proposed by the project’s participants:

• To promote the achievement of the targets of the Kyiv resolution on biodiversity by countries and donor organizations, in particular in relation to agrobiodiversity;
• To support the development of a common identification procedure for HNVF in collaboration with UNEP, FAO, EEA, ECO-Forum, WWF, IUCN and others, as well as pilot projects for assessment, management plan elaboration, and measures for protection for the sustainable development and ecological restoration of HNVF;
• To evaluate the activities of participant countries in the implementation of the Kyiv resolution and PEBLDS actions plans during the Belgrade ministerial conference “Environment for Europe”;
• To introduce a special section in the EECCA Environment Strategy dedicated to the support of HNVF and development of ecological networks;
• To assess together with the EU the impact of agricultural policy on sustainable development and HNVF conservation in Pan-Europe;
• To promote agricultural development projects that support HNVF carried out by the main international development organizations in recipient countries.
• To provide measures on implementation of practical monitoring of the state of the environment, including biodiversity, in the agricultural sector and on creation of relevant data base systems as it was provided in the Republic of Belarus for the years 2006-2010.

The Biodiversity Group of ECO-Forum calls on non-governmental organizations to take part in:

• lobbying for HNVF legislation development and public control over its implementation;
• organization and elaboration of independent awareness campaigns;
• implementation of HNVF inventory projects as well as monitoring of HNVF especially at the local level;
• carrying out of special projects aimed to protect biodiversity on agricultural landscapes through changes in agricultural practices;
• stimulating more active position of environmental bodies in relation to protection of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and also for close cooperation with agricultural bodies;
• to apply the IUCN initiative «Countdown-2010» in these directions, in particular by members of IUCN.

Recommendations for conservation and sustainable use of high nature value farmland (HNVF) in South Eastern Europe (SEE)I from the participants of the regional workshop on HNVF in SEE

The region of the Western Balkans is rich in high nature value farmlands. The richness of HNV farmland could be described in terms of the diversity of ecosystems, ranging from steppe and saline meadows, coastal areas and islands, karstic areas, high mountain pastures and slopes, as well as alluvial meadows. On the other hand, a diversity of traditional land uses is still present. Although rural areas with traditional land uses are in the process of abandonment, many farmlands are still under the influence of human and traditional forms of use. Despite all diversity, these areas are not fully recognized as (potential) HNV farmlands.

There are few strategies and policy responses in the Western Balkans that go along with the farming practices that support high biodiversity. Some policies are still in the process of implementation, such as Less Favoured Area payments (Serbia and Montenegro) and agri-environmental measures (Croatia). High Nature Value farmland in the Western Balkans faces many of the same problems experienced across much of Europe, including lack of sufficient state support, depopulation, non-attractive livelihoods in rural areas, undeveloped infrastructure, etc. Also, there are no clear objectives, funds and implementation mechanisms foreseen within the national strategies and policies that support High Nature Value farmlands in the Western Balkans.

It should be kept in mind, though, that datasets on HNV farmland are largely missing, preventing a detailed analysis of recent trends in HNV farmland and effectiveness of policy measures. There is a great need for:

• establishing data sets on distribution of HNV farmland (preferably on the basis of detailed national data sets);
• spatially explicit data on expenditure and corresponding environmental objectives of (agricultural) subsidies;
• pan-European monitoring of habitat and species abundance;
• sound comparative and analytical research into the effectiveness of emerging policy responses measures such as agri-environment schemes;
• innovative plans for the protection of HNV farmland.

In summary, the main message from the Belgrade HNVF Workshop was a plea for recognition of the importance of the Western Balkans and the South-Eastern Europe in general for achieving the objectives related to high nature value farmland that were agreed by European Ministers of Environment at Kyiv. There is an urgency to take this forward, both on paper and on the ground. Political will is needed to move forward.

Participants of the Belgrade workshop pushed for next steps to be undertaken, giving priority to intensive efforts at a limited, regional scale capable of initiating broader, longer-term initiatives. Another meeting should be organized, by which time participants should:

• know what they think the concept means in their countries and regions;
• have some concrete examples of HNV farming systems and HNV farmland areas in each country;
• have enough information to plot the way ahead.

About this page

This document is part of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment 2007. Download the entire study in English or Russian or read the chapters online.

Pan-European Progress Towards Achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Introduction
Forests and Biodiversity
Agriculture and Biodiversity
The Pan-European Ecological Network
Invasive Alien Species
Financing Biodiversity
Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicators
Public Participation and Awareness
Additional Challenges

Annex 1: Status and trends of 2010 indicators
Annex 2: C2010 Readiness Assessment Questionnaire
Annex 3: Online Survey on the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Annex 4: Recommendations for high nature value farmland
Annex 5: SEBI2010 Indicators