Sustainable Farming as a Result of Negotiations: anAnalysis at European Level

摘要

Water pollution caused by agriculture is an unsolved problem worldwide. The mainreasons for this are intensive farming, and difficulties in controlling non-point sources. Watersuppliers especially suffer from excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. According to newEuropean Union (EU) regulations, farmers must comply with stricter rules. However, it isdifficult to implement these regulations due to the diffuse character of non-point pollution.An EU-wide investigation showed that in many water catchments negotiations between watersuppliers and farmers proved to be effective in achieving more sustainable farming. Thereasons for this are high motivation to find the most cost-effective measures (e.g. intercropsto reduce nitrate loads), and the sharing of highly specialised expertise. These factors canresult in changes of farming practices by using modern agricultural equipment that is attunedto local conditions. In the Netherlands, Germany, and France the proportion of drinking waterresources that are ‘protected’ by such agreements range from around 34% to 54%. Inrespect of irrigation, negotiations can lead to more sustainable water allocation. Examplesexist in Australia, Chile, France, Spain and in California, USA. Water concessons are boughtfrom farmers and then resold to those who have the most critical needs.Water management models are also helpful tools. Many models exist which deal with theallocation of scarce water resources, and in these models the water demands of agricultureoften play a predomimant role. New approaches are under development, especially withregard to linking models with different domains and various time and space scales.The experiences gained from negotiations between water suppliers and farmers should beused to advantage by governments. Governments can actively promote such co-operativeagreements.