Future Imperfect: Climate change and adaptation in the Carpathians

Adaptation Action: High Nature Value Farming

High nature value farming (HNV) supports farming activ- ity and farmland that has high biodiversity or contains species and habitats of conservation concern. The Ro- manian Government has implemented a High Nature Value Grassland agri-environment measure as part of its National Rural Development Plan (NRDP) in an at- tempt to limit both agricultural abandonment and inten- sification. Farmers can voluntarily enter into a five-year agreement and receive payments, currently set at €124 per ha, in return for adhering to a specified set of man- agement requirements. These include, for example, a ban on the use of chemical fertilizers. Farmers can also apply for the Traditional Farming option whereby addi- tional payments can be obtained in return for not using any mechanization. In the long run, farming can be preserved through sus- tainable grassland management. An example is the Tar- nava Mare region in Romania, an area consisting mostly of small-scale semi-subsistence farming where the meat, dairy products and honey produced are an essential source of local food. A pilot agri-environment scheme helped local food production and will strengthen biodiversity. For ex- ample butterflies will benefit from sustainably managed grasslands where many wild flowers will provide either nectar for adult butterflies or larval food plants. The pilot found that, as well as agri-environment payments, actions were needed that support local markets. These included improvement of milk collection points for small-scale milk producers in the Tarnave region and the creation of a brand for local products. Opportunities were also created for agro-tourism. The adaptation measure thus creates a “multiplier effect” whereby tourism becomes an extra form of “payment” to local people for landscape conservation

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Traditional agricultural practices in the Tarnava Mare region

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FUTURE IMPERFECT