Agriculture and Bioenergy
SENSE - reasonable improvement of agricultural water protection and biodiversity
In the Sense-project water protection and biodiversity are improved in an agricultural environment. In agriculture, many operations can be performed to better these two valuable matters; however, very little has been done. There are many reasons behind this. The Sense-project concentrates on solving problems and complications that slow down the introduction of these operations regarding water protection and biodiversity.
The Sense is a joint-project by the Foundation for a Living Baltic Sea and Nature and the Nature and Game Management Trust Finland, which started in January 2009 and will continue for 5 years. Funding for the project comes from the Louise and Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation.
Problem
Intensification of agriculture and change of manufacturing has led to increased nutrient inputs, but also to a reduction in biodiversity. Although there is already data on agricultural environmental problems abundantly available, the practical implementation of the measures has so far not been sufficient for the Baltic Sea and biodiversity. This may be appointed for three main reasons: excessive bureaucracy, lack of guidance and lack of incentives.
Problems in agricultural environment affect many of the factors in the group. Farmers and landowners, hunters, farm advisors, officials, environmentalists, environmental specialists and scientists have an understanding of the environment as well as the possibilities to have an effect on it. The debate and exchange of information between the groups is very limited.
Goal
The Sense-project aims to find solutions to the problems that inhibit the protection of water and the operations that promote the introduction of biodiversity to farms. Solutions may be small or large proposals for reform that is related to agricultural subsidies. The solutions for a farmer are being researched from voluntary and supportive resources.
More dissemination of information from researchers to farmers and from farmers to researchers is needed. In addition, information must be passed to decision makers in order to make changes to the existing situation. The development of the agricultural environment requires an interdisciplinary collaboration. For the sake of changes the issue must be seen from the perspective of different parties.
The Sense project aims to broach this kind of conversation.
Practices
The Sense-project has so far hired only one employee, project manager Eija Hagelberg. The project manager works closely with the Foundation for a Living Baltic Sea and with the experts from the Nature and Game Management Trust Finland. The steering group meets a few times a year and works to support the project manager.
The Sense-project operates at three levels:
1) Active contacts with grass-root levels (farmers, agricultural advisors, local and regional officials)
2) Contact with the researchers (the use of the most recent scientific research)
3) Cooperation with decision-makers and national authorities
The project manager of the Sense-project makes farm visits, during which she will give advice on environmental issues, while discussing the topic with the farmers. At the same time, the project manager is in close contact with regional authorities on the same topic. Based on past discussions the project manager announces proposals for improvement for the steering group about the present case. The steering group will discuss the potential changes. For example, in the spring of 2009, the themes were special agri-environmental subsidy, particularly in buffer zones. Associated bettering suggestions, will be discussed in the Steering Group.
Throughout the project, the different levels of the three main problems are discussed: bureaucracy, lack of advice and the lack of appropriate incentives. Each of these seek to find simple and effective solutions: both small and large changes in relief.
Progress of the project can be followed on the project's website.
Steering group
Ilkka Herlin, Baltic Sea Action Group, Steering Group Chairman.
Fredrik von Limburg Stirum, the Nature and Game Management Trust Finland, Steering Group Vice Chair.
Michael Hornborg, farmer, Lohja
Kimmo Tiilikainen, The Finnish Parliament
Jarmo Vaittinen, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Lauri Kontro, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus-newspaper
Georg Ehrnrooth, Louise & Göran Ehrnrooth Foundation
Markku Ollikainen, Helsinki University
Markku Puustinen, Finnish Environment Institute
Juha Helenius, Helsinki University
Jyrki Aakkula, MTT Agrifood Research Finland
Sami Kurki, Helsinki University
Johanna Ikävalko, The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK)
Juha Hillebrandt, Pro Agria
Saara Kankaanrinta, Baltic Sea Action Group, Secretary General, Co-Founder
Domain
The Sense-project covers the whole Baltic Sea catchment area in Finland, but the active action is focused in southern Finland, especially in South-West area of Finland and the western region in Uusimaa. The Environment center’s TEHO- -project has no superimposed activity with other projects, only cooperation. In the Sense-project well-proven measures and methods are also exported specifically to the Baltic countries, where there is not much knowledge or experience of similar measures.
Additional Information:
Project Manager Eija Hagelberg
tel: 0500 609 526
eija.hagelberg @ bsag.fi
www.bsag.fi, www.luontojariista.fi
Work has begun and the tailwind is blowing
In Russia, the chicken manure problem has not yet been precisely addressed, and it has been more profitable for the henhouses to pay modest fines rather than to deal with manure in an environmentally meaningful way. The project also tries to encourage other henhouses to develop the processing of manure. The standard of activity can be expanded in the future also for other animal production, as well as in the other Baltic Sea countries such as Poland.
The solution for the chicken manure problem has been actively developed and promoted by inter alia from the Scandinavian Environmental Finance Corporation NEFCO and the Finnish Ministry of the Environment. Russian authorities have also responded positively to the project.