1. The prospects of innovative agri-environmental contracts in the European policy context: Results from a Delphi study
- Author
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Kelemen, Eszter, Megyesi, Boldizsár, Matzdorf, Bettina, Andersen, Erling, Van Bussel, Lenny G.J., Dumortier, Myriam, Dutilly, Céline, García-Llorente, Marina, Hamon, Christine, LePage, Annabelle, Moruzzo, Roberta, Prager, Katrin, Riccioli, Francesco, Yacamán-Ochoa, Carolina, Environmental Social Science Research Group (ESSRG), Impact Hub Budapest, H-1053, Budapest, Ferenciek tere 2, Hungary, University of Copenhagen = Københavns Universitet (UCPH), Plant Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), Département Environnements et Sociétés (Cirad-ES), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) (UMR MoISA), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM), Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), University of Aberdeen, and European Project: 714712
- Subjects
Policy Delphi ,Dewey Decimal Classification::600 | Technik::630 | Landwirtschaft, Veterinärmedizin ,Result-based payments ,Geography, Planning and Development ,Agri-environmental schemes ,Forestry ,Dewey Decimal Classification::300 | Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie, Anthropologie::320 | Politik ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Contract design ,Collective contracts ,Environmental Systems Analysis ,Value chain contracts ,Milieusysteemanalyse ,[SDE]Environmental Sciences ,ddc:320 ,ddc:630 ,ddc:640 ,Dewey Decimal Classification::600 | Technik::640 | Hauswirtschaft und Familienleben ,Nature and Landscape Conservation - Abstract
International audience; Innovative agri-environmental contracts are increasingly studied in the literature, but their adoption has been relatively slow and geographically scattered. Action-based agri-environmental measures remain the predominant policy mechanism across Europe. A three-round Policy Delphi study was conducted with policy makers, scientific experts, farmers’ representatives, and NGOs from across 15 different European countries, to investigate how and under which circumstances novel contractual solutions could be implemented more widely. The expert panel perceived result-based and collective contractual elements as the most promising. Although considered beneficial from several aspects, value chain contracts were perceived less relevant to the policy environment. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Pillar 2 measures were highlighted by the experts as the key policy area to implement novel contracts by national or regional authorities, but Pillar 1 eco-schemes, being launched in the CAP 2023–2027, were also considered as a potentially suitable framework for testing and implementation. The Delphi panel envisaged innovative contracts should be adopted by governments in iterative steps and not as a complete substitute for current payment schemes, but rather as an additional incentive to them. Such an incremental approach allows contractual innovations to capitalise on existing best practices. But it also implies the risk that innovative contracts could remain marginal and fail to substantially change farmers’ behaviour, resulting in a failure to improve environmental conditions.
- Published
- 2023