Promoting High Nature Value (HNV) Farming and Agri-environment Payments through Civil Society Organisations in Macedonia

Probishtip 25 and 26 - November 2010 Ruska Miceva, Ecologists Movement of Macedonia

This project is funded by the MATRA Social Transformation Programme of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Farming and Nature

Agricultural landscapes in Europe are longestablished - some are over 2000 years old. Agriculture can be a threat to nature, for example, through pesticide use, intensive production, water pollution etc. But some types of farming are crucial for the survival of nature - many species have adapted to extensively managed and highly variable habitats. With so little wilderness remaining in most European countries, farming provides a refuge for many wildlife species.

Farming Compatible with Nature

The less intensive farming systems use much fewer inputs of fertilisers and pesticides, while labour inputs are relatively high. The density of livestock is usually low, with animals grazing semi-natural vegetation, outside for most of the year. Grazing and browsing is mainly on semi-natural vegetation, e.g. permanent pasture. More natural features such as small woods, hedges, ponds still survive in the landscape. Irrigation is either absent or at a fairly low level.

Benefitting Society
Such systems are often traditional, reflecting generations of farming methods developed to be sustainable in local conditions. These types of farm are not high tech but they offer society a environmentally-sensitive form of food production. They may also help to sustain local culture and traditions. They form part of a pattern of land use that is potentially sustainable in the long term. Nature cannot be maintained simply on nature reserves. They generate public benefits, for which farmers may be paid in the future.

Concept on HNV farming system

The HNV farmland concept has emerged and developed over the last 10-15 years in response to the growing recognition that many of the habitats and species upon which we place high nature conservation value in Europe have been created by farmers and their traditional farming practices. Farmers in many EU Member States are therefore increasingly valued as key players in biodiversity conservation, especially in more marginal areas with poorer land where less intensive and therefore more biodiversityfriendly - farming methods are still practiced.

The HNV concept brings an

The HNV concept brings an alternative and complementary approach to nature conservation. Instead of focusing solely upon the maintenance of rare or endangered species and habitats on protected sites it embraces the need for the significantly larger areas of land (including a high proportion of semi-natural habitats) to continue to be occupied by farmers and managed with traditional farming methods

Twinning Partnership DEM Ecologists Movement of Macedonia (MK) Avalon (NL) CCI Center for Civic Initiative (MK) 23 Local NGO Members

IEEP - Institute for European Environmental Policy (pan-European)

Government

???

Society

Agriculture

Environment

Farmers

NGO

???

FARMERS AND NATURE TOOGETHER!

The project will focus upon the positive benefits of certain types of agriculture in Macedonia for protecting our valuable habitats and important species of wildlife

In the frame of the project we working on:

Introduce and apply the concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farming to the different types of agriculture found in Macedonia; Raise awareness of the importance of HNV farming for biodiversity conservation; Take some first steps towards helping to support and encourage the continued existence of the HNV farming systems that are found in many regions of our country.

Training for NGO - Veles 27/28 March 2010

Training for NGO - Veles 27/28 March 2010

Training for NGO - Veles 27/28 March 2010

Kick of meeting 30 March 2010

Pilot regions in Macedonia

Thank you!