Integrating water issues in Farm advisory services A Handbook of ideas for administrations

1. Integrating water issues in Farm advisory services A Handbook of ideas for administrations Thomas Dworak Ecologic Institute

2. Aim of the Handbook • A clear need for information sharing among the Member States on the structure of Farm Advisory Services • Content focuses on: • Environmental considerations in water management, not water management in general! – i.e. “Water-friendly” farming practices • Institutional and organizational setup behind technical farming measures • Target audience: • Governmental, administrative bodies that govern advisory services Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

3. Farm Advisory System versus farm advice • The "Farm Advisory system" (FAS) is a comprehensive system made up of different advisory bodies coordinated by a central body or authority. This system guarantees that each farmer in all Member States is able to ask and receive advice on compulsory standards, at the least on all cross compliance requirements. • A "farm advisory service" is the service a farmer receives from an advisor, i.e. an oral or written advice that analyses a farmer's practical problems on his farm and gives guidance in order to resolve practical problems. Advice is the provision of a technical skilled opinion on a specific subject to assist the farmer in his decision making. Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

4. Structure of the Handbook Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

5. What can be found in the Handbook? Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

6. Chapter 3 – How does farm advice work? Chapter 2 – Water problems resulting from agriculture • Pollution – nutrients and pesticides • Alterations of hydrological regimes • Hydro-morphological modifications • Soil erosion • Focuses on the benefits achieved through farm advice Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

7. Chapter 4 & 5 – Legal and Institutional issues • Details the legal requirements FAS must cover • Examples on the institutional and organizational set up in various MS • Which institutions are involved • Strategic direction of FAS • Prioritization within FAS • How MS already handle water issue in advice, i.e. whether water is a specific advice issue or if it is integrated into other advice issues (e.g. soil) • Requirements and training of advisors Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

8. Chapter 6 – How to target advice • “How to select the farmers that should be addressed?” • Other approaches include: • Focus on most prevalent types of farms in breach of environmental laws or standards (e.g. Belgium – Flanders) • Production focus • Self-screening (e.g. England, Ireland, Hungary, Austria) Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

9. Chapter 8 – Ways to integrate different FAS approaches Chapter 7 – Different farm advisory approaches • Which approaches to provide information exist • Which tools and methods of advice exist • How to select the right tool(s) for advice • Goal is to increase efficiency of advice and reduce costs • Focuses on how MS integrate different advice approaches (e.g. legal, business, environmental) in the FAS Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

10. Chapter 9 – Why do Farmers participate in FAS? • Personal values play an important role in decision-making and participation. • Important to know about farmer motivation in order to effectively implement farm advice Farmer segmentation in the UK Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

11. Chapter 10 - Best Timing of advice • Presents information on what time of the year the different FAS tools are most effective • For example: • Manual, templates, maps, software tools: Suitable year-round. Updates before the main sowing season in the spring. • Telephone help-line: Suitable year-round. • One-on-one visits: Most relevant close to or during the growing season. • Small group advice: Start of the growing season. • Training courses, workshops, seminars and information meetings: During the winter time when farmers are more likely to have time to leave the farm. Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

12. Chapter 11 - Farm advice activities to address water problems caused by agriculture • Boxes on MS examples of current activities to address: • Nutrient pollution • Pesticide pollution • Irrigation • Mixed - addressing more than one issue Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

13. Chapter 12 – Costs and financing of advice • Costs of services differ widely across Europe • Financing • What are the main sources of funding? E.g., rural developing funding, other public funds, private etc. • Funding conditions of private institutions, i.e. Award criteria for subcontracting private advisory services • In some MS farmers get between 50%-80% of the costs covered while in others financing depends on the level of advice (e.g. Czech Republic) Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

14. Chapter 14 – Soft skills of advisors • Highlights in the need for soft skills to effectively reach farmers • Focuses on “trust” & "understanding and speaking the farmers' language“ • Incorporation of soft skills into training of trainers Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

15. Chapter 14 – Monitoring and Evaluation • Handbook focuses on: • The competences of the advisor • The impact on the farm in terms of change of the behaviour/practices - evaluating the impacts of advice • Chapter gives examples on how Member States evaluate their own FAS and how much monitoring takes place Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak

16. Thank you for listening. Thomas Dworak Ecologic Institute, Auhofstrasse 4/7, A-1130 ViennaTel. +43 (664) 7359-2278, Fax +43 (1) 877-6430 thomas.dworak@ecologic.eu www.ecologic.eu Seville, WFD Expert Group on agriculture– Thomas Dworak