Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Farmers, both for mental habitus and for economic convenience, should opt for
productive use of lands, substituting productions that had a high level of subsidies, as
cereals, with productions they estimate positively in a market perspective or that
incorporate a greater value added. 24 In this context, water is very important because, in
looking for the best factors arrangement, farmers will choose irrigated crops only in the
presence of water availability — and that not very expensive — and in presence of an
efficient irrigation service.
If water requirements increase, conflicts among the several water uses can also
increase. In Italy, water demand for civil and industrial uses, in particular for tourism, is
increasing. Tourism has become the main antagonist of agriculture because both sectors
present the highest water demand in the same period (during the summer).
In the meantime, the CAP reform is strongly oriented to privilege sustainable
development pushing farmers to a correct use of production factors; therefore, the access
to subsidies is subordinated to the respect of best practice in agriculture (eco-
conditionality), and to the respect of principles of Water Framework Directive
2000/60/CE (described in paragraph 2).
The application of the directive and the changes in the institutional system that it
requires could help to contrast the high fragmentation of the national water system at the
planning, programming and managing level, introducing a new and more appropriate
pricing systems based on the "full-cost recovery” principle.
Therefore, the scenario designed by CAP reform and by the application of WFD
offers an important opportunity with respect to the objective of a more efficient water use,
in particular through management improvement and water-saving irrigation techniques.
The coming scenarios that emphasise the relationship between agriculture and water
resources are one of the objects of the future European Rural Development Policy. The
next programming cycle (2007-2013) aims for a closer integration between agricultural
and environmental policies. All investments in agriculture and rural development
(European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) will have to contribute to
environmental aims. Analysing the indications approved from the European Union
Council, 25 it emerges that the main purpose of rural development policy is to help
agriculture to achieve its multifunctionality and its management/control role of the
territory. Resources are concentrated on the following objectives:
increasing agriculture competitiveness;
valuing environmental resources and natural surfaces supporting a more efficient
territory management;
improving life quality in rural areas and promoting the diversification of the economic
activities.
24.
Borrelli, L. and Picchi, A. (2004).
25.
European Union Council (2005).
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