A win-win agricultural policy for climate and biodiversity
A policy brief(opens in new window) published by the EU-funded LAMASUS(opens in new window) project looks at the trade-offs and opportunity costs related to agricultural land management. The goal is to help policymakers target funding where it can deliver the greatest environmental return for climate, biodiversity and agricultural viability. The policy brief shows that strategic agricultural de-intensification can help reduce the EU’s agricultural carbon emissions by close to a third while also boosting biodiversity recovery. Based on new land use management data, its analysis integrates biophysical crop and grass simulations, biodiversity models and farm-level cost assessments to aid effective policymaking. “While the environmental benefits of reducing intensive farming practices — such as using less fertilizer and pesticides, keeping fewer animals per hectare, and growing crops less frequently — are well recognized within the research community, our study goes further by identifying specific win-win areas where co-benefits for both climate and biodiversity can be achieved at minimal economic cost,” comments policy brief co-author Leopold Ringwald of LAMASUS project coordinator International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in a news item(opens in new window).
Going for the win
The identification of win-win areas across Europe where biodiversity can be measurably improved is a key output of the study. In these regions, investing at least EUR 350 annually per hectare through sustained de-intensification results in at least a 1-tonne reduction in CO2-equivalent emissions per year. Importantly, it also increases biodiversity intactness – the variety and abundance of native species – by 1 % every decade. “These local gains are significant,” states the policy brief, going on to explain: “European biodiversity intactness improved by just 1.1% between 2000 and 2018, and global studies show a decline of ∼3.4% since 1970 and ∼1% per decade since 1900.” The analysis also shows that strategically de-intensifying 7 % of Europe’s agricultural land – in win-win areas – could reduce agricultural emissions by 4.9 %, in other words by about 12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year. “This would represent around 3.9% of the EU’s 2030 total mitigation target for agriculture, forestry and other land use, while entailing a 2% annual reduction in total agricultural production value,” reports the brief. “These figures suggest that targeted shifts in land management could contribute significantly to climate goals without jeopardising food production.” Another finding is that better targeting of common agricultural policy (CAP)(opens in new window) support is needed. The researchers identified three countries – Austria, Poland and Slovenia – with above-average shares of win-win areas, but below-average planned support per hectare for de-intensification. In particular, over 50 % of Poland’s and Austria’s agricultural land is intensively used, leaving room for beneficial transitions. “Redirecting funds toward these areas could improve biodiversity and climate outcomes per euro spent,” the policy brief authors state, going on to propose results-based payments as a promising way forward that enable “flexible, outcome-oriented support while encouraging uptake where environmental returns are highest.” Finally, the LAMASUS (LAnd use and MAnagement modelling for SUStainable governance) policy brief highlights five key CAP areas supporting agricultural de-intensification. These are fertilisation policies promoting organic alternatives to synthetic fertilisers, grassland and grazing policies focused on enhancing biodiversity and soil health, landscape conservation measures, low-input farming systems and plant protection policies restricting synthetic pest control. For more information, please see: LAMASUS project website(opens in new window)
