Conference report:
V Meeting of the European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism

Jerry Laker

The European Forum for Nature Conservation and Pastoralism has used each of its biennial meetings to focus on a specific conservation issue and to use this as a basis to develop a more general discussion on the conservation of low intensity agriculture and its associated habitats. Particular emphasis has always been placed on the policy instruments such as the CAP and the opportunities for its reform.

The fifth meeting (September 1996), in Cogne, Valle d'Aosta, Italy, was no exception to this formula. The Aosta region is renowned for its rich mountain flora and fauna, and for the delegates, the meeting was an opportunity to appreciate the integral role that transhumant livestock grazing, predominantly of dairy cows, plays in the maintenance of this diverse alpine ecosystem, as well as the local economy and culture.

The first session of the meeting consisted of five talks to introduce different aspects of the livestock farming systems in the Aosta valley. In particular, the factors affecting the special character of the Fontina cheese, and the important role that the seasonal grazing has in maintaining the environment were highlighted by local experts.

Following this introduction, we were taken on a field trip up to the high mountain pastures, or alpeggi, which are grazed for a season lasting five months by local breeds of cattle. It is said that the diverse diet offered by the herb-rich mountain pastures imparts a subtle and unique flavour to the Fontina cheese, which is made each day during this season in houses located up in the mountains. As part of the initiation to alpeggio life, we were all treated to a typical herdsman's lunch of maize polenta, home-made sausage, Fontina cheese and fresh cream.

Making polenta in the alpeggio

In the next session on day 2, three papers described mountain farming systems in three contrasting regions, Italy, Switzerland and the Czech Republic. After the widespread devastation of the agricultural economy following the break up of Czechoslovakia there are encouraging signs that rural development initiatives are in place that will put a value on traditional farming landscapes, at least within the White Carpathian Protection Region.

Five papers were presented in the next session, four of which described ecological studies undertaken within mountain ecosystems, in relation to migrating birds, Alpine chough, and the management of alpine pastures. The fifth summarised the main messages from a new book, "Farming and birds in Europe: the Common Agricultural Policy and its Implications for Bird Conservation" (D.J. Pain & M.W. Pienkowski, eds., Academic Press). This book outlines the patterns of agricultural production across Europe, the development of the CAP, and the importance of different types of farmed habitats for birds and biodiversity.

The role of farming in maintaining was explored in detail by seven of the remaining papers which looked at different aspects of agricultural policy and the environment. The recent Italian memorandum to the EU, calling for increased milk prices and exemption from set-aside in mountain areas, was given as an example of a proposal for providing assistance to a rural area, which has not met with widespread support because the memorandum does not take into account any agri-environmental measures.

Mike Hamell, speaking for DGVI commented that there is no stop-point in the evolution of the CAP. Each of the last five agriculture commissioners have instigated reforms, and there is no reason why this should change in the future. He also said that member states are reluctant to enforce penalties on farmers for environmental protection measures. He preferred that resources should be targeted locally or regionally, rather than on a Europe-wide basis.

There are a number of proposals for CAP reform which would offer environmental incentives. It was reasoned that the current system, particularly livestock quotas, imposes severe inertia on diversification. A new system was outlined by Steve Goss, CEAS, that would maintain existing levels of support to farmers, while at the same time not cause pressure to increase production. This idea would allocate subsidy on the basis of "adjusted forage hectares", with aid provided at several levels, or "tiers", depending the degree to which the production system meets a range of, mostly environmental, criteria.

As an illustration of an integrated approach to rural development, a case study was presented describing the Hindelang valley in southern Germany, where over the last ten years the mountain farmers have co-operated to maintain traditional farming methods, the products of which have been marketed locally to tourists, attracted by the environmental image of the valley.

This fifth Forum meeting was highly successful in demonstrating that, in spite of the great diversity of farming systems across Europe, there are many common themes between them in terms of the importance of traditional grazing management, and the opportunities to link farming, nature conservation, marketing of local products and tourism in rural development programmes.

Further details on the meeting may be obtained from:

David Baldock,
Institute for European Environmental Policy, 158, Buckingham Palace Rd. London SW1W 9TR.

Tel: (+44)(0)171 824 8787
Fax: (+44)(0)171 824 8145