Agriculture
intensity: area used for intensive arable agriculture
LB-3
Loss
of Biodiversity
Pressure
1 Indicator
definition and unit of measurement
Area
used for intensive agriculture. Unit of measurement is area under intensive
arable agriculture as proportion of total land area (%).
2 Placement
in the framework
5EAP:
Chapter
4: Selected target sectors, section 4.4: The agriculture sector, deals with
over-intensification and consequent environment degradation.
Agenda
21:
Chapter
10: Integrated approach to planning and management of land resources:
allocation) and support for traditional patterns of sustainable land management.
Chapter
14: Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development, section 14.25.
Chapter
15: Conservation of biological diversity, section 15.5 calls for the
“promotion of sustainable production systems, ... which use, maintain or
increase biodiversity”.
International
conventions and agreements:
CAP
(Common Agricultural Policy).
Agri-environment
Regulation 92/2078
of
30th June 1992: Agricultural protection methods compatible with the
requirements of the protection of the environment and the maintenance
of
the countryside.
Ranking:
Core
ranking:
3
(41%)
Policy
Relevance:
4
(3.0)
Analytical
Soundness:
5
(3.1)
Responsiveness:
22
(2.2)
Most
appropriate related state indicators:
Total
agricultural area.
3 Significance
Purpose:
Agenda
21, Chapter 15 states that
"farmers'
fields are of great importance as repositories of biological diversity.
Agricultural practices (intensive versus traditional) are recognised to have a
direct impact on the maintenance or loss of biodiversity.
Relevance:
There
is considerable interest in the promotion of "sustainable" agricultural
practices (OECD, FAO, World Bank, IFAD, GATT). Agenda 21, Chapter 14:
Promoting sustainable agriculture and rural development, section 14.25
specifies a "need to intensify agriculture by diversifying the production
systems for maximum efficiency in utilisation of local resources while
minimising the environmental and economic risks”. EC proposals include an
agri-environmental action programme encompassing financial assistance to
encourage environmentally-friendly land management (COM(91) 258 Final). These
various initiatives should, if adopted, reduce the negative impacts on
biodiversity from intensive arable agriculture.
Linkages
to other pressure indicators:
LB-6:
Loss of traditional land use practices; LB-8: Pesticide use; LB-2: Wetland loss
through drainage; LB-10: Riverbank loss through artificialisation.
Targets:
5EAP:
Rural environmental management objectives permitting the maintenance of
biodiversity and natural habitats (target 15% of agricultural area under
management contracts) and also promotes zonal programmes for the support of
environmentally-friendly agricultural practices.
4 Methodological
description and underlying definitions
Underlying
definitions and concepts:
The
indicator shows the proportion of
land
area already under agricultural uses
which is being managed under intensive systems. This is an aggregation of all
pressures on biodiversity resulting from intensive agricultural practices, such
as (see item 3. Linkages to other pressure indicators above): use of available
genetic resources, use of pesticides, use of fertilisers, loss of traditional
land use practices, grazing intensity, loss of corridor landscape elements etc.
Measurement
methods:
Data
on agricultural activities are readily available and standardised data have to
be collected for the Dobris+3
exercise.
Limitations
of the indicator:
(i)
Need for harmonisation of the definition of "intensive”.
(ii)
Need for classification of the sensitivity of habitats/regions to intensive
agriculture impacts.
Alternative
definitions:
A
more comprehensive indicator could include intensive livestock agriculture as
well as arable. The indicator could be weighted according to regional
sensitivity of habitats and landscape types. The indicator could be
disaggregated to the component impacts (see item 4. Underlying definitions
and concepts above).
