Welcome to SoCo IEEP, Humboldt University, ZALF and Cartagena University

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Welcome to SoCoIEEP, Humboldt University, ZALF
and Cartagena University
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Introducing the Issues
Soil Functions Biomass Production Storing,
filtering and transforming nutrients, substances
and water Biodiversity pool Physical and cultural
environment for human activity Source of raw
materials Acting as a carbon pool Archive of
geological and archaeological heritage
Potential threats Erosion by water Erosion by
wind Organic matter decline Compaction Landslides
Contamination Salinisation
Inhibiting soil function

Focus of discussions today
Interaction between farm management and natural
conditions
Selection of farming practices
Local, regional and national social, economic and
environmental conditions
Policy measures Finance Educate Prohibit Mitigate
damage
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The Mediterranean Challenge
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Common Conditions

• Semi arid climates with extreme rain events
• Domination of small scale farms - semi
  subsistence and market oriented
• Mixed often marginal farming systems, dominated
  by arable with extensive livestock
• Significant use of irrigation in more intensive
  areas
• Some land abandonment in more marginal areas
• Low population density with low levels of
  cooperation, coordinate and social capital
• Limited administrative capacity and multiple
  agencies involved
• Significant soil science expertise.

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Drivers and Threats

• Drivers
• Leads to Soil Threats Erosion by Water and
  Salinisation

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Erosion by Water

• Beneficial Farming Practices
• Maintenance and restoration of terraces
• Reduced tillage
• Ploughing in line with slope contours
• Maintaining vegetative cover
• Timing of crop planting
• Increasing organic matter including incorporation
  of crop residues and avoidance of stubble burning

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Salinisation

• Beneficial Farming Practices
• Appropriate irrigation and water management
• Chemical control including liming
• Crop rotations and use of fallow periods
• Appropriate crop selection

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Constraints on Practice

• High cost and effort associated with some
  practices
• Insufficient funding
• Inadequate information and advice
• Low levels of cooperation, coordination and
  awareness
• Absentee landowners
• Small farm size
• Pressure to intensify and associated irrigation
  needs

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Key Questions

• Farming Practice
• Why do degrading practices persist?
• Which farming practices have proved to be most
  successful and why?
• How far are inappropriate practices simply the
  product of insufficient understanding and advice
  rather than broader structural issues? What are
  the solutions?

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Policy Instruments and Potential Solutions
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Policies for Soil Conservation

• Wide range of policies relevant to soil
  conservation issues
• Cover agriculture, forestry, water, waste
  biodiversity, land use planning
• Policies range from those originating at EU level
  down to local initiative
• Relatively few are concerned directly with soil
  management
• Coordination between policies and policy
  institutions is often limited
• There is a range of institutions and actors
  involved in policy design, implementation and
  enforcement with variable expertise, presence on
  the ground and coordination
• Advice, information and training are critical for
  successful uptake of nearly all measures
• There is a lack of monitoring and evaluation of
  the effectiveness of key soil policies
• Policies need to be able to adapt to
  socio-structural changes in rural communities
• Policies need to be attuned to local
  circumstances given the complexity of the
  relationship between on farm management, natural
  susceptibility and soil degradation
• There is considerable use of rural development
  measures but little reference to training.

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Key Policies

• The most important policies in place in the 3
  regions are
• Cross compliance especially Good Agricultural
  and Environmental Condition (GAEC)
• Agri- environmental policies
• Aid for investment and farm modernisation
• Other rural development policies
• Water and irrigation policies
• Land management policies
• Forestry policy
• National soil laws
• Regulations on stubble burning.

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The Role of Cross Compliance

• Cross compliance (CC) repeatedly appears to be
  the most significant policy instrument for
  dealing with soil on agricultural land
• Limited understanding of the impacts of CC so far
• CC does deal with local/region specific issues
  broad brush approach can lead to problems
• CC does not respond to broader structural drivers
  eg abandonment, urbanisation, technology,
  socio-economic pressures

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Policy - Key Questions

• How much can we deliver action via mandatory
  requirements versus targeted incentives? Is Cross
  Compliance a useful tool?
• In the current economic climate and with the
  increasing market orientation of the sector, is
  the policy response adequate?
• What policy leverage do we have over small, part
  time and semi subsistence farmers, some of whom
  are not currently eligible for CAP support?

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Policy - Key Questions

• What understanding do we have of the
  effectiveness of policies? Adequacy of monitoring
  and evaluation of impact of policy.
• Why are some policies more effective in certain
  areas compared to others? Do institutional
  factors play an important part?
• Are there examples where advice and training have
  led to a change in farming practices?
• What policy leverage do we have over small, part
  time and semi subsistence farmers, some of whom
  are not currently eligible for CAP support?

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Questions Key practices

• If appropriate drainage and irrigation are key
  requirements, what is the role of different
  actors in a successful strategy to improve water
  management?
• Under what condition can farmers improve crop
  rotations and maintain vegetation cover to reduce
  erosion issues?
• What are the barriers to the adoption of
  appropriate tillage practices (including contour
  ploughing and conservation tillage)? How much do
  they vary according to local conditions?
• Is it realistic for farmers to maintain and
  restore terraces without significant financial
  assistance?

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