An Fóram Uisce held its first webinar on 4th December:
Optimising water quality returns from the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
Thank you for registering and attending our webinar. The recording is now available at the links below:
Charles Larkin presentation is available at: https://youtu.be/m7IS5ZypHpU
Panellist responses: https://youtu.be/DWX8PzM1uCM
Q&A moderated by Tom Collins, Chair of An Fóram Uisce: https://youtu.be/ciDR_uce8jI
Charles’s research brings an economic perspective to agricultural practice and food production and makes a significant contribution to the debate around how land is used, our landscape is managed and the need to protect natural capital and address legislative environmental requirements.
The panellists shared very interesting and informed perspectives. With unanimous acknowledgement that a one-size-fits-all policy does not work, all panellists recommended that significant flexibility needs to be built into the new CAP Strategic Plan to take adequate account of different landscape types. In order to ensure positive environmental outcomes Pillar 1 payments should aim to be results-based rather than action-based.
While farmers are willing to participate in agri-environment schemes they need to be adequately resourced to do so and the targets need to be observable, measured and verifiable. It is clear that while it is important to redesign CAP to support pro-environmental behaviours the measures must work for the implementing bodies as well as the farmers.
The full debate is available from the links above.
