Conservation Agriculture in the agri-environmental European context

Abstract

More and more farmers are realizing that they need a better alternative to tillage agriculture in Europe. Those farmers who have discovered CA as an alternative and are practising it successfully are inspired by it. Every CA farmer has an exciting story to tell about the discovery, learning by doing, on-farm innovations and most importantly, becoming connected again to the land as an effective steward for the benefit of his/her family, society and nature. More importantly, CA farmers realize the significance of their achievement, which has been won largely without much policy or institutional support, and with little support from a large part of the agriculture industry. CA farmers are part of a global movement which they have created by networking at all levels and driving further developments in CA and land use through sharing of experiences, knowledge and innovations. Some CA farmers in Europe have been practising this alternate system for some 40 years now and many from over 20 years. They will all say that CA for them has meant that they can now farm with the knowledge and confidence that they are no longer degrading and destroying their land resource base, rather the opposite. A judicious use of inputs allows farmers to implement high-quality and productive CA, whilst addressing challenges in soil, water, biodiversity and climate. Indeed, these farmers have become even more caring stewards of their farmlands to contribute to national and international food security, to harness a range of sustainable ecosystem services for society and to provide a decent way of life for themselves and for future generations. If CA can achieve all this, what more do we want? If we provide CA farmers with the necessary tools, they will deliver what the CAP, and other key policies, has set as priority goals for European agriculture.