Greening is not so terrible
Greening is a new liability that will enter into force on Jan 1, 2015 in the whole European Union. Polish farmers, (as well as their European colleagues), don't like it. They say: "Again the ideas of ecology are worth more than our budgets and our crops. The eurocrats found it themselves to preserve the nature, but we need our acreage for the cultivation". Here is an interview with Mr. Zenon Bistram, chairman of Pomeranian Agriculture Chamber (northern Poland), published yesterday on the The Agricultural Report site (Raport Rolny):
Q: Tell me how "greening" policy found its way into Common Agricultural Policy? Why the farmers will have to destine 5% of their ground to eco plantations?
We must remember that the European Union budget in its agricultural part was planned in 2012 and 2013. These were the years of crisis across whole Europe, and some countries stood against the surcharges to the agriculture to be left at the same level as they were in 2007-2013 budget.
The only possibility to make them agree to preserve the same level of subsidies was to introduce some eco, biodiversity and landscape goals into the subsidies system. This was discussed for a long time, and finally this "greening" has been introduced. It is a concern not only for Polish, but the European farmers. Since 2015 they are obliged to "green" 5% of their areal.
Q: So it's not a matter of "crazy eco eurocrats" ideology, but rathera political consensus?
Yes, this was a deal. Of course we could say "no", but the whole Common Agricultural Policy and agricultural subsidies would be reduced significantly. Now that it's been agreed, we have to introduce it in practice: make use of the possibilities that exist in the farms, and if there are none of them: seek for new solutions.
An important point is that some farms may not even know that they already fulfill the "greening" conditions!
Sure they do, but most of them know, because they took part in agro-environmental programmes. In those all the eco areal had to be preserved from the moment of signing the contract. A part of farmers took part in it, and now they will continue this activity. Now the same will concern all the farmers. There's a small exception: the farms that owe less than 15ha total are excluded from this common obligation (EFA areal).
Q: But the most of Polish farms are smaller than 15 ha...
Sure. In Poland 50% farms are smaller than 5 ha. In our region particularly the average is 18-19 ha, but there are mountain regions on the south where the average is 4 ha, and the polish average is something above 10 ha.
Q: So why we discuss the "greening" so much, and why the farmers are so afraid? If it really concerns 15-20% farms in our country, what is this argument all about?
Mostly about the obedience to the European law. Do we have so many small farms in our country (as I have pointed out before)? Yes, we have. They are exempted from the main "greening" obligation, aren't they? Yes, they are! These 5% concerns only a dozen or so total percent of farms? Yes, what's the problem? We obey the European law. And we must remember that there are so many small farms only in Poland. In other EU countries it looks quite different. And we must remember that those small farm fit into another CAP branch, that includes subsidies for the small farms. They don't have to worry so much about this 5% of areal particularly.
Q: So the typical Polish farmer owing a family-farm doesn't have to worry too much about making a revolution in his farm?
Exactly. This 5%-rule concerns bigger farms, agro-companies. But the small farmers will have to pay attention to environmental, eco and landscape features of their farms. It comes from the other CAP branch, dedicated to small farms I've mentioned before. They are not allowed to plough the whole ground they owe, but they have to preserve the balks, trees, ponds, bushes and so on, because these are the places where the biodiversity grows, the habitat of pollinators and other useful beings. They play a big role in the whole ecosystem, for example pollinators that are beneficial to farmers. There would be no rapeseed or fruit without pollination, and the rapeseed and fruit are one of the most profitable businesses. The farmers let the pollinators live, and the pollinators make the farmers' profits. And some of them make honey, too! Additionally, the EU pays 74 euro/ha for fulfilling these conditions. Everyone's a winner.
Q: As we've said before, some farms fulfill the conditions now without doing anything, because they are luckily in a specific place and have a natural crops, forest, waterhole or bush. But the rest will have to do something in order to fulfill those EU conditions. What?
There are several methods. First is growing the nitrogen binding plants at some minimal part of areal.
Q:The part of ground could be set-aside as a fallow, too?
It could, but most of the farmers don't like it. Fallow at better classes of ground makes no sense, this may work only if someone has weaker grounds. But of course the eco-farmers will do it. When I look at our region: in Kartuzy and Kościerzyna districts there are a lot of forests and the landscape is diverse, so those farmers will not have to do anything to fulfil the greening conditions, because it's done by nature.
Q: But what about the districts on east, nearer to the Vistula river? They have medium class grounds and the landscape is not diverse?
Those farmers will have to do something of course. They'll grow nitrogen binding plants or set-aside, but there're more possibilities: the most interesting is tree planting, we've discussed today. There is an upcoming online project where the eco-oriented people fund the bee-friendly trees online, and the trees are planted on farms. That is a great idea, but with a few loose ties.
Q: What needs to be done?
The most important thing to consider is that planting bee-friendly trees on very high class ground causes that the trees to "steal the water" from the corn or wheat planted in a dozen or so meters around, and the farmer will not like it. It's obvious that those bee-friendly trees are necessary for their plantations, but they would not be so good willing to plant them on their own. On the other hand, planting bee-friendly trees on very weak grounds like class V or VI will not be very efficient, because those trees need a bit better ground.
Q: So, again: what about those districts with medium class grounds and non-varied landscape, nearer to the Vistula river and on the east of our region? Will it work there?
Sure. There are 3rd class grounds, no problem planting. Planting those trees there on balks or in grove is possible, of course. It's good that the people want to do such activity online, but we should do it step by step, not sharply, because the longer time it works the more farmers join, and it's more effective that way. The action should grow in proportion to the interest from the farmers and the tree funders. It shouldn't be a quick action that lasts a few months, but if it will last for 1-2 or more years, it makes really good and useful outcome. We, as the agriculture chambers could join in by collecting the declarations of farmers that are willing to participate. That would result in a transparent database, that will help us determine how many tree seedlings are needed where. It will show clearly if we need 500 or 1000 or any number of trees, so it'll be reasonable and nothing will be wasted, neither trees nor money. The best thing is that the tree funder will know where his tree grows and will have a possibility to come to his tree in person, touch it and see if this works.
