Functional Land Management:A governance tool to develop the bio-economy?

Rogier Schulte & Dina Popluga

Ireland - Latvia

Latvia

Area – 64 589 km2

Population – 1 989 768

Population density – 30.8/km2

Highest point – 311 m (Gaiziņš)

Agrarian sector – crucial for

economy

Agriculture: 29% of land area

Forests: 45%

Ireland

Area – 84 421 km2

Population – 4 819 750

Population density – 57.1/km2

Highest point – 1 038 m

Agrarian sector – crucrial for

economy

Agriculture: 64%

Bioeconomy in Ireland…

Demand & supply from our land…

Functional Land Management

= framework for governance of

supply and demand of

ecosystem services;

Including food production &

environmental services

Question:

Can Functional Land

Management be adapted into

a framework for governance

of supply and demand of the

bio-economy sectors?

Functional Land Management:managing supply & demand of soil functions

I want to grow my milk output by 50%

Demands on our land

Demands on our landWe will provide clean

drinking water

Demands on our land

We need to sequester carbon

Demands on our landProtect the home of

biodiversity

Demands on our land

We need to find a home for our waste…

What can our land supply?

Functions in EU Thematic Strategy:

- Primary productivity: food, fibre, fuel

- Water regulation & purification

- Carbon regulation & sequestration

- Habitat for functional & intrinsic biodiversity

- Nutrient Cycling

- (Archeological archive)

- (Building platform)

All soils / land perform all

functions……but different parts of

the land(scape) are

better at delivering

different functions

Soil Functions: a landscape approach

Grassland (unimproved)

Soil functions in relation to land use

Relative importance depends on land use

Tillage

(crops)

Grassland

(improved)

Forestry (coniferous)

Forestry

(deciduous)

Peat

(upland)

NATURA

2000

Grassland (unimproved)

Biomass /

biofuel

land use

Soil functions in relation to land use

Relative importance depends on land use x soil type:

Tillage

(crops)

Grassland

(improved)

Forestry (coniferous)

Forestry

(deciduous)

Peat

(upland)

NATURA

2000

Grassland (unimproved)

Biomass /

biofuel

land use

Well

drained

Moderately

drained

Poorly

drained

Soil functions in relation to land use

Mapping the supply of soil functions

land use

dra

inage

Soil functions: demand

Environmental policies

• Greening Measures (Pillar 1)

• Nitrates Directive

• Water Framework Directive (DG Env)

• Habitat & Birds Directive (DG Env)

• Agri-Environmental Schemes (Pillar 2)

• EU 2030 Climate and Energy Package

(European Council)

• Sewage Sludge Directive

Agricultural policy framework

• Common Agricultural Policy (Pillar 1)

• Areas of Natural Constraints (Pillar 2)

Demands for soil functions

Soil functions: demand

Soil functions: demand

How?

Policy framework

Local

National

Regional

Scale PathwayPolicy Objectives

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

High

Status

Sites

Surface water

quality

Drinking water

quality

GHG

mitigation

Soil

Quality

Pro

tectio

n o

f

Ra

re s

pecie

s

hab

ita

ts

Manure

Management

(intensive

enterprises)

Sewage Sludge

Management

Food / Fuel

Sovereignty

Farm

viability

Regional

development

Policy framework

Local

National

Regional

Scale PathwayPolicy Objectives

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

High

Status

Sites

Surface water

quality

Drinking water

quality

GHG

mitigation

Soil

Quality

Pro

tectio

n o

f

Ra

re s

pecie

s

hab

ita

ts

Manure

Management

(intensive

enterprises)

Sewage Sludge

Management

Food / Fuel

Sovereignty

Farm

viability

Regional

development

Policy framework

Pathway Existing Policy Instruments

Market Mandatory Voluntary

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

Va

lue

-chain

Designation of

NATURA 2000 &

High Status Waterbodies

Manure

trading

Agri-environment

schemesNitrates

Marketing

Quality

assurance

schemes

Areas of Natural

Constraint

Afforestation

Schemes

River Basin District

Management Plans

Environmental

Impact

Assessment

Single Farm

Payment

Greening

measures

GAEC

Customisation bysoil x land use ?

Local

National

Regional

Scale Pathway Existing Policy InstrumentsPolicy Objectives

Policy framework

Valu

e-c

hain

Designation of

NATURA 2000 &

High Status Waterbodies

Market Mandatory Voluntary

Manure

tradingAgri-

environment

schemesNitrates

Marketing

Quality

assurance

schemes

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

High

Status

Sites Areas of Natural

Constraint

Afforestation

Schemes

Surface water

quality

Drinking water

quality

GHG

mitigation

Soil

Quality

Pro

tection o

f

Rare

specie

s

habitats

Manure

Management

(intensive

enterprises)

Sewage

Sludge

Management

Food / Fuel

Sovereignty

Farm

viability

Regional

development

River Basin District

Management Plans

Environmental

Impact

AssessmentSingle Farm

Payment

Greening

measures

GEAC

Some alignment

Many (enough?) instruments

Room for more alignment?

No 1:1 alignment of objectivesand instruments

To be continued… @LANDMARK2020

Demand & supply from our land…

Functional Land Management

= framework for governance of

supply and demand of

ecosystem services;

Including food production &

environmental services

Question:

Can Functional Land

Management be adapted into

a framework for governance

of supply and demand of the

bio-economy sectors?

Functions in EU Thematic Strategy:

- Primary productivity: food, fibre, fuel

- Water regulation & purification

- Carbon regulation & sequestration

- Habitat for functional & intrinsic biodiversity

- Nutrient Cycling

- (Archeological archive)

- (Building platform)

What can our land supply?

Functions of the Bioeconomy?

- Food, drinks, functional food, feed

- Non-food products: packaging,

cosmetics, bioplastics,

biopharma

- Energy: biogas, biofuels,

electricity, heat

- Raw materials: wood, by-

products, biomass

- Carbon sequestration?

Grassland (unimproved)

A landscape approach

Relative importance depends on land use x soil type:

Tillage

(crops)

Grassland

(improved)

Forestry (coniferous)

Forestry

(deciduous)

Peat

(upland)

NATURA

2000

Grassland (unimproved)

Biomass /

biofuel

land use

Well

drained

Moderately

drained

Poorly

drained

Functions in relation to land use

Forest Ag land Marsh Shrub Other

Min

era

l?

land use

So

il

Pea

t?

land use

dra

inage

Mapping the supply

CORINE Land Cover 2012 - LatviaP

eat

map

supply & demand

Latvia’s teritories with natural gas infrastructure

Supply

Food Non-food energy materials

Demand

C-seqest

Network of biogas plants in Latvia in 2014

Source: Niklas M., 2011

Electric power lines infrastructure in Latvia, 2014

Source: AS „Augstsprieguma tīkls”, 2014 Source: LGIA

Population density in Latvia, 2011

Pathway Existing Policy Instruments

Market Mandatory Voluntary

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

Va

lue

-chain

Designation of

NATURA 2000 &

High Status Waterbodies

Manure

trading

Agri-environment

schemesNitrates

Marketing

Quality

assurance

schemes

Areas of Natural

Constraint

Afforestation

Schemes

River Basin District

Management Plans

Environmental

Impact

Assessment

Single Farm

Payment

Greening

measures

GAEC

Policy framework

Pathway Existing Policy Instruments

Market Mandatory Voluntary

Land Use Management

(National / EU)

Farm Management (local)

Policy framework

Demand & supply from our land…

Functional Land Management

= framework for governance of

supply and demand of

ecosystem services;

Including food production &

environmental services

Question:

Can Functional Land

Management be adapted into

a framework for governance

of supply and demand of the

bio-economy sectors?

In principle: yes

Advantages:- Allows for holistic

management of competing targets

- Allows us “to get the most from our land”