HNV-LINK New Project
A new project funded under Horizion2020 strives to boost innovation in agricultural areas renowned for their outstanding natural and cultural values
Boosting innovation in agricultural areas renowned for their outstanding natural and cultural values
Introduction HNV-LINK
The greatest part of HNV farming in Greece, takes place in areas with natural handicaps. The risk of abandonment of beneficial practices or even of these areas seems to be aggravated by the implementation rules of the new CAP concerning wooded pastures. Inoculation of traditional practices with innovative thinking and acting is considered essential since these practices seem not to be viable.
This April, the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Helsinki is launching an international project called HNV LINK, which stands for High Nature Value Farming: Learning, Innovation and Knowledge. The project received a prestigious Horizion2020 funding of 2,2 million euros awarded to networks that bridge “the research and innovation divide” in agriculture, forestry and rural areas and was the first of this kind on the campus). [1]
High Nature Value farmland is threatened in Europe and Greece
High nature value farmland encompasses areas in Europe where agricultural activities support, or are associated with, exceptionally high biodiversity. These farmlands are also important for cultural heritage, quality products and rural employment and are priority sites in European agriculture conservation.
Long-standing threats to these nature friendly farming systems include abandonment, degradation, economic and social marginalization. The challenge is to increase the socio-economic viability while maintaining their natural values, including ecosystem services they provide to the society. [2]
The agricultural land covered by HNV farming was calculated in 2008 at 73,3% of the total UAA of Greece (Common Monitoring and Evaluation System- Context indicator- 37). High Value farming systems in Greece are encountered mainly in mountainous, semi mountainous areas and on the islands. Low intensity tree orchards and groves and mixed farming systems, in small compartmentalized parcels and the presence of dry stone terraces combined with practices like crop rotation and fallow, as well as extensive pastures mainly rough grazing and herd management, result to the conservation of a vast variety of flora and fauna, contributing thus to a mosaic of great biodiversity value. Apart from these, of great importance are the wetlands created by flooding rice fields. Farming in areas with natural handicaps (78,1% of the Greek UAA, Common Monitoring and Evaluation System- Context indicator 32,) enhances biodiversity conservation creating, through time, landscapes rich in biodiversity. It is calculated that 92% of the pastures and 84% of the cultivated land in HNV areas, are within these areas. Agriculture in these areas, however, is less productive and with higher costs for farmers, hence, under higher risk of abandonment. On the other hand, intensification of practices, in areas where this is possible, is a tangible and attractive alternative for farmers. It is worth to note the risk that implementation rules of the new CAP could present in the efforts to conserve these areas.
Innovation is needed for farmland areas of exceptional heritage value
« LINK HNV research program offers us the possibility to contribute to the conservation of traditional practices that have proved to be beneficial to biodiversity and the environment by introducing innovative forms of co-ordination and action” explain Dr Vlachos Georgios. Dr Goussios Dimitris considers for its part that "the distinctiveness of HNV-Link program in relation to heretofore approaches of HNV areas lies in the fact that throws considerable weight to the role of HNV farming systems and seeking those innovations that will enable the continuation of their contribution to the management of these areas. The interest in practical and innovative results one should seek in fact that the promotion of these objectives involves institutions and researchers from 13 European countries. This potential will mobilize and will exchange experiences and propose applications drawing from a major European-wide stock of inherited practices but also innovative ideas and solutions to the problems facing these marginalized HNV farming systems. "
Dr François Lerin, network coordinator from the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies, France, states “I am very proud of our network’s commitment to keep strong links between agriculture and environment, on the one hand, and analytical and practical focus, on the other”.
HNV-Link is a 13-partner strong consortium. [3] During 2016-2018, it will focus on collecting, developing, transferring and disseminating innovative solutions of all kinds for supporting high nature value areas through improving both socio-economic viability and environmental efficiency. HNV farmlands are a marginal farmland type in conventional research and development, and their innovation needs and solutions are rarely discussed in academic fora. This thematic network operates at both grassroots-based and transnational levels and aims to make a difference by connecting farmers, research, and innovation actors in line with the EU innovation vision.
Among the major outputs of the project is an atlas of innovations feasible within HNV farming areas. The project will also host an “Innovation Fair” to foster peer learning. Finally, HNV-Link will identify existing educational material and expose educators and students alike to HNV concepts, challenges and opportunities.
The contribution of the Laboratory of Rural Areas is based on the experience gained in recent years from the creation of a territorial cluster of small dairy territories with pronounced HNV character. A number of innovative ideas both technological and organizational have conceived and implemented in practice in support of pastoral sheep and goat farms and the enhancement of their role in sustainable relationship between man, nature and animal.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Dr Goussios Dimitris, Professor, Laboratory of Rural Space, Department of Planning and Regional Development, University of Thessaly; Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser. ; 00302421074463
Dr Iryna Herzon, docent, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki
Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.; 040 5330946
[1] H2020-ISIB-2015-1. “Closing the research and innovation divide: the crucial role of innovation support services and knowledge exchanges”. Despite the continued generation of knowledge through scientific projects, research results are often insufficiently exploited and taken up in practice, and innovative ideas from practice are not captured and spread. Cooperation between research and extension services or farmers and other actors in the supply chain is crucial for innovation-driven research. Therefore, mechanisms and networks, which stimulate this interaction and knowledge exchange, should be developed in view of optimising resource use and enhancing the transition to innovation-driven research.
Projects should involve actors from science and agricultural practice and facilitate the exchange on existing knowledge on innovative approaches in agriculture, the supply chain, and rural areas. They should help to put existing research into practice and capture creative ideas from the grassroots-level. Methods for generation of innovation-driven research should be promoted taking into account the diversity of European regions, farming and agro-food systems.
[2] The importance of low intensity farming for the conservation of biodiversity throughout Europe was acknowledged early in the 1990s and the concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farmlands was devised. It has been given high priority within the EU Agricultural Policy requiring each EU Member State to identify and monitor the extent and condition of HNV farmland. In Greece an additional pressure exerted on these areas that has been identified is land use change towards tourism and holiday residence.
[3] Partners:
Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Mediterranéennes – Institut Agronomique Mediterrannéen de Montêllier CIHEAM-IAMM, France – Coordinator
European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism EFNCP, United Kingdom
Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas – Universidade de Evora, Portugal
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine – Cluj Napoca, Romania
Society for Territorial and Environmental Prosperity STEP, Bulgaria
County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland, Sweden
Application des Sciences de l‘Action AScA, France Sligo institute, Department of environmental Science, Ireland
University of Thessaly - Department of planning and regional development, Greece
University of Helsinki – Department of Agricultural Sciences, Finland
Local action group LAG 5, Croatia Conservatoire Espaces Naturels Languedoc-Roussillon, France Fundación entretantos, Spain
[4]
The Department of Planning and Regional Development of University of Thessaly deals with the issues of protection and management of areas HNV in the Greek rural areas with particular emphasis on Natura areas and national and regional parks focusing on spatial planning issues but also on the management forms within them. In this context, the Laboratory of Rural Space contributes more specifically to the issues of organization and operation of production systems as well as identifying and highlighting of territorial resources of these HNV areas.
The Laboratory of Rural Space has a long activity in the field of rural areas, dispose an extensive network of collaborations with university laboratories in Greece and abroad, public services, local development structures and production operators and farmers. The HNV-Link program offers the opportunity to contribute to a more integrated diagnosis of the local ecological and socio-economic conditions that characterize of HNV areas but also to seek solutions and to formulate proposals for the support of HNV farming systems in these marginalized areas. To promote this objective, we rely on our ability to combine fieldwork and methodological and technological tools that we have developed with existing and potential innovations aiming at particular contribution of our European partners.
University of Thessaly participates in the recently awarded HNV-LINK H2020 project
Work of University of Thessaly on High Nature Value farming is getting an important boost from a prestigious Horizon 2020 project called HNV-Link, which stands for High Nature Value Farming: Learning, Innovation and Knowledge. This is a 13-partner consortium, which grew out of the EIP Focus Group on HNV farming. With an overall budget of 2.2 M€, the project started in April 2016 and will last for three years.
The project network will be focusing on innovations that support HNV farming systems and communities by simultaneously improving their “socio-economic viability” and “environmental efficiency”. A set of “learning areas” will be used to evaluate innovation examples and innovation gaps, not only technical and commercial innovation but also social, institutional and policy innovation. There is also an ambitious dissemination plan for engaging farmers groups, researchers and other actors beyond the 10 learning areas.
The project will support grassroots activities (such as exchange visits), which are always highly demanded by practitioners on the ground. Among the major outputs is an atlas of innovations feasible within HNV farming areas. The project will also host an “Innovation Fair” to foster peer learning. Finally, HNV-Link will identify existing educational material and expose educators and students alike to HNV concepts, challenges and opportunities. The project’s website and other communication channels will be established by mid-2016.
If you want to get an update and follow the project, you can contact the HNV-Link communication person – Irina Herzon (Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.) (in English) or Dimitris Goussios (Cette adresse e-mail est protégée contre les robots spammeurs. Vous devez activer le JavaScript pour la visualiser.).
HNV-Link Coordinator:
Institut Agronomique Mediterrannéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM) - France
HNV-Link LINK Partners:
European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) - United Kingdom
University of Evora, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas - Portugal
University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj Napoca - Romania
Society for Territorial and Environmental Prosperity (STEP) - Bulgaria
County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland - Sweden
Application des Sciences de l‘Action (AScA) - France
Sligo Institute of Technology, Department of Environmental Science - Ireland
University of Thessaly, Department of planning and regional development, Laboratory or Rural Space - Greece
University of Helsinki. Department of Agricultural Sciences - Finland
Local action group LAG 5 - Croatia
Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Languedoc-Roussillon - France
Fundación Entretantos – Spain
The HNV-LINK Network
A European network HNV-Link welcomes all interested parties, especially in the Learning Area regions, to cooperation. The network’s mission is in developing and sharing innovations that support farming systems in areas of exceptional natural values across Europe through a multi-actor approach.
High nature value (HNV) farmland describes areas in Europe where agricultural activities support and are associated with exceptionally high biodiversity. These areas are an important component of European agriculture not only for their natural values but also for cultural heritage, quality products and rural employment. HNV-Link network creates a community of practice and knowledge by linking 10 areas throughout the European Union where HNV farming systems are prevalent. These “Learning Areas are used to evaluate innovation examples and innovation gaps relevant to HNV systems. Innovations include technical, commercial, social, institutional, and policy kind.
The project identifies what works in specific places and what methods would also be applicable in other areas or contexts. Among the major outputs and activities for 2016-2019:
- Inventory of grassroots innovations in each learning area
- an “Innovation Fair” to foster peer learning
- a set of educational materials to expose educators and students in agricultural studies, rural development and conservation alike to HNV concepts, challenges and opportunities
- an interactive Atlas of Innovations feasible within HNV farming areas
- Research papers and presentations
In Greece, the network is represented by the University of Thessaly: http://www.uth.gr (http://www.prd.uth.gr/el/research/lab/rurlab)
It is responsible for the Learning Area of Thessaly region: www.terrathessalia.gr
Baseline Assessment: HNV LA-Thessaly video
LA THESSALY, is a historical and symbolic mountainous geographical unity (refuge of the resistance against the conquerors). Its landscapes strongly depict the ability of its communities to manage over time the human-animal-nature relationship in a mountain with difficult terrain but rich biodiversity.