Final Report on the Project 'Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation (SoCo)'

Abstract

In 2007, the European Parliament requested the European Commission to carry out a pilot project on ?Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation through simplified cultivation techniques? (SoCo). The SoCo project was designed in a close cooperation between the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in form of an administrative arrangement (AGRI-2007-336). It has been implemented by the JRC?s Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) and Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES). The overall objectives of the SoCo project are: (i) to improve the understanding of soil conservation practices in agriculture and their links with other environmental objectives; (ii) to analyse how farmers can be encouraged, through appropriate policy measures, to adopt soil conservation practices; and (iii) to make this information available to relevant stakeholders and policy makers EU-wide. This report synthesises the findings of the SoCo project and translates them into conclusions and recommendations. It reviews soil degradation processes, soil conservation practices and policy measures at European level. The analysis is taken to the local scale by means of ten case studies distributed over three macro-regions. Aggregated environmental benefits of adopting particular soil conservation practices are explored with model calculations. Finally, the report discusses the effectiveness and efficiency of instruments for soil protection, maintenance and improvement in Europe, exploring opportunities and critical issues linked to the adoption of conservation practices. The report closes with policy-relevant conclusions as a basis for policy recommendations.