AGRI-ENVIRONMENT

Although this ancient and special landscape remains substantially intact, the whole area is extremely fragile. Application of artificial fertilizers would seriously damage or destroy many of the wildflower meadows, allowing coarse or vigorous grasses to invade. The most substantial threats to wild plants and animals and their habitats are

• intensification of grassland management, with nutrient over-enrichment by fertilizers or high stocking rates, or over-grazing, especially by sheep
• abandonment of land and cessation of traditional land management practices such as mowing or scrub clearance.

Agri-environment is the interface between biodiversity conservation and agriculture. In the case of Transylvania (unlike most of Europe) agri-environment measures are actually the continuation of current (traditional) management. The biodiversity of the area can be conserved only if traditional land management continues. Fundatia ADEPT gives high priority to creating long-term incentives for traditional management, in the form either of grants or of commercial incentives.

ADEPT is designing and implementing agri-environment measures in the area: in particular,

• the identification of high nature value grasslands
• the creation of guidelines for their continued traditional management, for example
• mowing of hay meadows at least once per year, but after 15 June
• low stocking rates on pastureland, and good practice of rotational grazing to prevent damage.
• the promotion of financial incentives for traditional management. Agri-environment measures have a cost to the farmer, and it is essential to give economic incentives in the form of compensatory payments (SAPARD 3.3, or other EU payments after accession)

Fundatia ADEPT has successfully worked with the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture (MAFRD) and EU DG Agriculture, to include the 10 communes of the project area as a national pilot area for agri-environmental subsidies (SAPARD 3.3). These are the first real incentives for grassland conservation in Romania.

ADEPT staff, working closely with state agriculture advisory service ANCA, are helping farmers complete the formalities to enter the scheme. As part of the scheme, some farmers will be obliged to attend agri-environment courses, which ADEPT specialists will deliver.

Romania’s first national agri-environment training exercise took place in Saschiz, in October 2005, organised jointly by ADEPT, ANCA and MAFRD. Agriculture courses with agri-environment input from ADEPT specialists were held in March 2006, for 60 farmers from five communes.

In the Autumn of 2007, the registered farmers received their first payments.