Applying a social-ecological approach to enhancing provision of public goods through agriculture and forestry activities across the European Union

Abstract

Public goods provided by different land management practices in European regions have increasingly attained attention in agricultural policy debates. By focusing on the social-ecological systems (SES) framework, the systemic interrelations (e.g. drivers, resources, actors, governance regimes and policy impact) in land management across several case studies in various topographical and climatic conditions across ten European Union Member States are provided. The analysis of agricultural and forestry systems reveals a wide range of factors that drive the provision of 'ecologically and socially beneficial outcomes' (ESBOs). The respective influencing aspects cannot be reduced to market forces and policy support, but have to address simultaneously the pivotal role of social, cultural and institutional drivers as well. In particular, the tight interplay between public policies and private initiatives, and market mechanisms and societal appreciation of public goods delivery have shown to be the indispensable clue for understanding the relationship shaping the level of provision of public goods. Comparative analyses support the strong reliance on context, history, types of regions and differentiation of management systems which might be used for recommendations in the current debate on the future Common Agricultural Policy.

Agritourism Initiatives in the Context of Continuous Out-Migration: Comparative Perspectives for the Alps and Chinese Mountain Regions

“…Despite its historic roots, these are not limited to "traditional" approaches, but rather seek to adapt and up-take more recent changes and technological improvements and social learning. As such, the analysis reflects on the particular scope of activities, market, and technological dynamics, and the integration into the regional socio-ecological system (see [31,32]). The specific interest is to address implications for migration and indirect effects of agritourism on regional differentiation and local attractiveness.…”

Policy Mixes as a Strategy to Provide More Effective Social and Environmental Benefits: Evidence from Six Rural Areas in Europe

“…At the same time, outdoor grazing is also beneficial for animal health and for keeping mineral resources highly balanced and diversified in the soil. In the mountain district of Murau, in Austria, the organic haymilk production is part of a private quality certification and marketing initiative called "Zurück zum Ursprung" (ZZU) [32]. Haymilk production is considered a type of farming where dried grass represents the main fodder base for dairy cows and substitutes for silage.…”

“…In particular, the AT case shows a strong integration between different RDP instruments (AECM, organic farming, areas under natural constraints scheme, extension services support), which has been crucial to make the extensive agriculture in Austrian mountain area more economically viable. Nigman et al [32] calculated that, on average, haymilk organic mountain farms were beneficiaries both from I and II pillar. The amount received from II pillar was €15,157, of which 8835 was from AECM and 5614 from the Area of Natural Constraint scheme.…”

“…Policy mix cannot be considered as the only factor stimulating the provision of ESBs, since it must be analyzed in conjunction with the market mechanisms and new governance arrangements (NGAs) set up in each area by local actors and stakeholders (Table 5) [13,40]. Market mechanisms contribute in two ways: they usually reinforce the action of public policies addressing ESBs and they can make more sustainable the provision of ESBs for public finance, and in the long run, they could also make such provision completely independent from policies.…”

“…In these contexts, policy mixes are driven and delivered by these key actors as a complement to market mechanisms (premium prices and labelling/certification schemes) to maintain viable incomes for agricultural producers and competitiveness for the whole agri-food industry. Some criticism, however, has been raised on real policy needs in order to avoid overcompensation and not leave other agricultural areas behind [32].…”