Baltic Agricultural Production Contributions to the solution of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication

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Emerald Hodges
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Baltic Agricultural Production Contributions to the solution of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication At the Meeting of High-Level Representatives from

1 Baltic Agricultural Production Contributions to the solution of the Baltic Sea Eutrophication At the Meeting of High-Level Representatives from Ministries of Agriculture and Environment of the Baltic Sea Region (CBSS) April 2007, Saltsjöbaden, Sweden Gunnar Norén CCB Executive secretary

4 AGRICULTURE and EUTROPHICATION Baltic agriculture contribute with approx 50 % of the nutrient load (Nitrogen & Phosphorus)

7 Input - Output Agricultural Sweden Tot. input Artifiz. fertilizer Output agric prod 100 N kg/ha Surplus Year

8 Input - Output Agriculture Poland Tot. input Artifiz. fertilizer Output agric prod 100 N kg/ha Surplus Year 2000

10 Future development of Baltic agriculture Two directions: - Quality production based on nutrient-balanced farming - Quantity production based on intensive use of fertilizers and pesticides Growing trend for industrial/intensive agriculture and specialisation into either crop producing or animal breeding farms has become a systematic error in terms of environment protection and sustainability big nutrient surplus Development in new EU-member states -Present CAP-scheme favours farmers in the new EU-member states to intensify production schemes to compete on the common market. -Extensive farming, still an important section of agricultural production in new EU-member states is decreasing

11 Scenarios for Baltic region agriculture More intensive farming -Agriculture in Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will convert to intensive agriculture practices (as most old EU-member states already made.) -calculated nitrogen surplus through leaching will thus increase by 58%. More Organic farming and nutrient-balanced recycling agriculture -Agriculture in the whole Baltic Sea drainage area converts to nutrient-balanced ecological recycled agriculture -will give a reduction of nitrogen surplus from agriculture by 47% and an elimination of the surplus of phosphorus. [figures from INTERreg project: Baltic Ecological Recycling Agriculture and Society, BERAS (Artur Granstedt, 2006)]

12 CCB recommendations for limiting the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea from the agricultural run-off 1. Changes in the CAP policy: 1.1 The coupled subsidies from the CAP Pillar I should make the farmers to control and limit the surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus as much as possible via Good Farming Practices (Annex III Helcom Convention) The extra costs of the farmers should be compensated Maximum modulation or at least 20% of a shift of Pillar I subsidies into Pillar II should be given an advantage in the BSR and these funds should mainly be used for the agrienvironmental measures Give advantage for extensive model of production (lower risk for nutrient run-off) when distributing quotas for milk and meat production.

13 2 Organic farming subsidies 2.1 Extra subsidies for extensive/organic farming with plant and meat production, applying nutrient-balanced production practices 2.2. Support to producers groups in processing and marketing of locally produced goods More efficient informing and training of the chain producer -> salesman -> supermarket -> consumer, in the subject of organic farming. 2.4 Actions to increase the share of organic farmland to at least 10% of total arable land Lower or zero VAT for organically grown products.

14 3. Animal Farms stronger environmental requirements when > 100 Animal Units 3.1. Same requirements/standards that are set for municipal wastewater, should be set for manure/wastewater from animal farms (90-95% BOD & P-red, 50% N-red) {1 pig produce 4 times more nutrients, compared to 1 person} 3.2. Farms with more than 100 AU (e g 700 pigs) should be defined industrial farms and the environmental requirements for them should be the same as for industries. 3.3 Monitoring of the implementation of IPPC Directive on Industrial Animal Farms (>2000 pigs) to control that every farm not fulfilling the IPPC Directive licenses have been closed dowm 3.4 The fertilization plans included in the IPPC licenses should require maximum utilization of manure as organic fertilizer.

15 4. Fertilization taxes -Introduction of taxes for using excess quantities of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer per hectare, - tax on mineral fertilizers The income from such taxes should be used for agroenvironmental measures. 5. The whole Baltic Sea basin should become a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. -The whole Baltic catchment to be appointed as a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, to reduce the heavy eutrophication of the Baltic Sea (EC Nitrate Directive) Strict enforcement of all EU Water protection directives, including Nitrate Directive and Water Framework Directive in the Baltic catchment.

16 Nitrate Vulnerable Zone designation EU 25 (year 2006) and area requiring designation according to Commission assessment

17 6. Energy crops -A stong overfertilisation, often accompanying the energy crop production, should not be allowed. -Water protection requirements should be the same for growing any kind of crops (independant of food, fodder or energy crop)

18 Future Vision Nutrient Balanced Recycling of all nutrients in agriculture production All farms, in a local region, are independent from imported fertilizers and fodder, Application of CAP subsidies in Baltic catchment, that favour nutrient-balanced production Tax system is favoring environmentally friendly agriculture, Only low nutrient-leakage agriculture, e g extensive/organic farming, allowed in coastal zones/areas,

19 Conclusions A healthy Baltic Sea environment without eutrophication Cannot be combined with intensive agricultural production at major areas of the agricultural land in the Baltic Sea catchment - develop measures, that significantly will reduce the Nutrient Run-off from farmland to solve the Baltic Sea eutrophication Baltic governments should commit themselves to develop joint Baltic region proposals as input in the forthcoming health check on the EU CAP, for changing the system of subsidies in order to consider the special characteristics and the vulnerability of the Baltic Sea.

20 Actions needed *EU and National financing must be allocated to PAY for a low nutrient-leakage agricultural production i.e. nutrient-balanced farming Farmers should be compensated for changed agricultural practicies. If not The PRICE will be paid through a Polluted Baltic Sea, with intensive algal blooms, declined biodiversity, disturbed fish reproduction, and wide-ranged areas with dead bottoms. Baltic Region citizens are willing to pay the price for a Clean Baltic Sea, but Baltic governments must decide on the concrete Actions, sometimes unpleasent or contraversal, but necessary changes

21 Thank you for the attention!

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