| Approaches for Sustainable Agricultural Production in North-eastern Germany |
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Head: Prof.
Dr. Klaus Müller,
Institute
of Socioeconomics, ZALF Müncheberg
The GRANO Project
Ecological and economic considerations must not be mutually exclusive objectives in agriculture. This hypothesis will be validated in the research project. Two regions within north-eastern Germany serve as model areas. The policy conditions as well as specific requirements for an economically and ecologically sustainable agriculture will be investigated to recognise the causes for recurrent conflicts. A central starting premise of the research project is that sustainable solutions can not be achieved without the participation of stakeholders. Therefore, implementation of project activities requires that farmers, environmentalists, businessmen, politicians, and researchers work together.
New concepts for sustainable land use will be defined and implemented in co-operation with local stakeholders within the model areas in the federal state of Brandenburg. The individual implemented projects will be analysed and co-ordinated with one another. The joint agreement of all relevant decisions is necessary for a long-term establishment of the individual practical projects. Opposing societal interests will be analysed based on the economic and natural scientific causes to create transferable solutions for the realisation of environmentally- and economically-sound agriculture.
The possibilities of environmentally-sound land use under the existing agricultural policy will be determined. If the policy conditions prove to be detrimental to the strengthening of a sustainable land use, practice-oriented and scientifically-sound negotiation at the policy level will be suggested.
Open expanses of farmland are being challenged under global market conditions. Liberalisation of EU agricultural policy, Agenda 2000, the imminent negotiation rounds of the World Trade Organisation as well as the EU eastward expansion portend increased competition in the agricultural sector. To some extent, agriculture must respond to this widened array of challenges to ensure its future presence and importance in the context of these changing conditions. Biotope protection, landscape design for recreational purposes, climate and soil protection as well as regulation of water supply are possible areas for further development. Although these potential areas have been extensively researched, there has been little practical realisation of results. The supposedly insurmountable opposition between environmental and nature protection objectives and agricultural economic interests is also an influencing factor.
This situation is the starting premise for a project financed by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research for development of long-term sustainable agricultural production approaches. In co-operation with the relevant stakeholders, research results from completed projects will be applied in the model areas for the development of new land use concepts. Current agricultural policy conditions are used as a basis for efforts to improve the environmental quality situation. Additional assistance in providing these research results to stakeholders is required for realisation of the project objective.
Problems
Although there
are a vast number of regulations regarding land use and rural areas in the
EU, there has been little consideration of sustainable development. Few practical
initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of agricultural practices
have been implemented. In general, a lack of application of available knowledge
about ecologically sound agriculture and land use management can be observed.
The project is based on the hypothesis that approaches to change land use
towards sustainability are not successful if they do not include the interests
and constraints of land users and decision-makers.
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Step-by-Step Project Planning
The acceptance
of the principles of participation excludes detailed preliminary planning.
During the first project phase researchers agreed on the need for a step-by-step
project planning and implementation procedure. As a consequence, optimal
problem solutions are not defined a priori, but are developed as a result
of an ongoing process with iterative procedures. New findings are consciously
integrated to achieve improved levels of quality.
Nevertheless, a logical structure for the research and development process
as a whole was deemed necessary, first, to safeguard internal transparency
and, secondly, to comply with certain administrative regulations. As a result,
the course of the project was subdivided into different phases:
These phases are separated only for analytical purposes and are not
chronologically isolated periods. Single activities may be carried out
simultaneously as long as the basic logic of the problem-solving process
is maintained: Definition of problems and objectives - Development of
problem-solving strategies - Implementation and evaluation - Ensuring
sustainability. Successive focussing of results from phase to phase follows
the principles of funnelling, e.g., the setting of priorities concerning
problems to be solved and the agreement of objectives to be followed, or
the development of alternative solutions and their selection regarding relevance
and feasibility.
The process sets the framework for systematically and continuously approaching
relevant solution strategies. Within every phase there is the need for step-wise
action. Initial stimuli are given by the scientists, who organise and moderate
the process of joint decision-making with the stakeholders. However, the
project remains open for stakeholder initiatives and ideas and allows for
changes in the research process as determined by practical experience. As
a result, project activities in the model regions are located somewhere between
ideal solutions and pragmatic approaches.
The objective of the first actual project phase was to specify the project
contents together with an expanded circle of stakeholders, especially at
the local level. To achieve this, a situational analysis of the model regions
was conducted, followed by a planning workshop.
Partizipation and Interdisciplinary
One important
element motivating different stakeholders for active participation in the
research project is the application-oriented approach. The concepts and solutions
to be developed must be relevant not only in theory, but also result in the
development of actual activities in the model regions. This is seen as a
prerequisite not only for maintaining a long-term interest in the research
project by the local population, but also for evaluating impacts in view
of transferability. A wide variety of organisations, ongoing projects, and
local initiatives active in the region are valuable points of contact and
partners for co-operation. Taking into account the limited duration, the
project is focused on the utilisation of existing knowledge for site-specific
application. All aspects mentioned above call for a transdisciplinary research
concept.
Both the research concept and the project management approach are based on
the principles of participation. Different stakeholders with various areas
of expertise, interests, and influence are involved in the use (and planning
of) of agricultural landscapes. The researchers involved are only one of
these groups. Active involvement of relevant regional stakeholders may only
be achieved if stakeholders participate from the very beginning in defining
problems and objectives, as well as being involv.
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Demonstartions Projects
Decentralisation and flexibilisation of agroenvironmental policies
At a "Round Table", representatives of agriculture and nature protection
organisations agree on targets of environmental quality for a jointly defined
area and determine the measures for achieving these goals. Using this outcome
as a basis, new financial incentive models for recognition of ecological
benefits of adapted agricultural practices are being developed and implemented
with the support of the regional administration.
Agroenvironmental Extension Service Concepts for the involvement of private consulting firms in the transfer of sustainable agricultural practices are being developed. Here, the role of research is how to provide advice and empower farmers and extension services in becoming experts about individual options for farm management.
Regional Marketing: Agriculture and Tourism The support of regional co-operation for the processing and marketing of agricultural products enhances the regional economy. In addition, the interrelation of initiatives for tourism helps to create a positive image of the region.
Regional Site Management The identification of suitable sites for ecological compensation measures, as well as for the application of sewage sludge, is being carried out. This will improve the application of compensation funds and reduce the negative environmental impact.