Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
22 for Imathia). The interviews were complemented by the analysis of publications
produced by key actors and also by the analysis of secondary literature such as scientific
reports, articles, action plans and newspaper articles.
Socio-technical landscape pressures
The main economic landscape pressure identified was the global trend towards agricultural
intensification. This trend appears to have had an influence in all three areas. In Lannion
Bay it was experienced as a shift towards corn as the main feed stuff; in Mangfall as one of
the two main options for small-scale, part time farmers; while in the case of Imathia,
initially the expression of intensification was towards an increase of production in order to
achieve higher subsidies. Intensification can include increased utilization of inputs (agri-
chemicals and water resources); mechanization of production; development of annual crops
to the detriment of pastures and the decline of wildlife areas (including important biotopes)
(EEA, 2010); and increased product specialization. Several impacts of this process have
been identified. Apart from the most prominent, such as water and soil quality
deterioration, loss of wildlife and agricultural biodiversity and landscape degradation,
important socio-economic impacts have also been observed such as increased dependence
on providers of inputs, usually resulting in higher costs for farmers. A further consequence
of intensification was the marginalization of farms and significant areas of farmland.
Agricultural land not appropriate for intensification due to climatic, soil or geographic
limitations has also been abandoned. Smaller households not able to cope with the
intensification process tend to abandon farming, especially in EU-designated Less
Favoured Areas (LFAs) like Mangfall, whilst larger or specialized farms concentrate their
efforts in the most productive areas.
The widespread notion of sustainability 'institutionalized' through the Rio conference
in 1992, and its particular implications for the agricultural sector, represents another
pressure from the socio-technical landscape, the main element of which is an increased
concern about negative externalities caused by intensive agriculture. This concern has been
expressed in different ways in the different case study areas. For example, in the case of
Lannion Bay it took the form of continuous media and legal pressure, especially when
acute problems arose like the death of a horse in the bay. In Mangfall, the role of
agriculture in ensuring clean water for the district of Munich has been recognized in official
planning documents. In Greece as a whole, and Imathia in particular, spatial and temporal
alienation of urban populations from their rural origins led to a de-legitimization of support
for rural areas, especially through environmentally harmful payments for withdrawal of
excess production. Closely related to the sustainability discourse described above has been
an increased awareness of food safety which has heavily influenced two of the case study
initiatives. The demand for organic food, one of the opportunities presented in the Mangfall
initiative, can be partly attributed to this trend. Public calls for stricter regulations on
pesticide use could be considered to be the regional manifestation of the food safety issue
in Imathia.
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