Federal Departement of Economic Affairs DEA Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG How the Swiss...

Federal Departement of Economic Affairs DEAFederal Office for Agriculture FOAG

How the Swiss agricultural policy promotes Integrated Pest Management

Fabio CeruttiSwiss Federal Office for Agriculture

2 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Integrated Plant Production

is the basis for

Integrated Plant Management

3 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Contents

• Facts and figures

• Policies and instruments

4 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

AreaFacts and figures

Non productive areas 7,800 km2 19 %

Built-up areas2,500 km2 6 %

Agricultural land 10,300 km2 25 %

Lakes and Rivers 2,900 km2,

7 %

Forest12,000 km2

29 %

Alpine pastures

5,800 km2 14 %

5 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Facts and figures

Agricultural Production

Degree of self-sufficiency

• Vegetable products 41 %• Animal products 94 %• Total 59 %

6 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Reform of the agricultural policy

From second war until 1993o subsidies linked with production:

• fixed prices and • sales garantees

From 1993 – today o subsidies (= direct payments) are linked to compliance with ecological standards= Ecological cross compliance

A fundamental change

Product subsidies

Direct Payments

7 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Policies and Instruments

Overview

Ecological Requirements: entry door

General Direct Payments

Ecological Direct Payments

Total 2 bn CHF

Total 0.5 bn CHF

Quality and Interlinking of Ecological Compensation Areas

+

Federal Law

on the Protection of

Nature and C

ultural Heritage

8 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

• balanced use of fertilisers

• appropriate share of ecological compensation areas (7%)

• crop-rotation

• soil protection

• selected and targeted application of plant protection products

• animal welfare standards

Policies and Instruments

Ecological requirements ()

Proof of Ecological Performance (PEP)Based on the approach of “Integrated Production Principles”Rules translated into regulations:

9 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Balanced use of fertilisers

Objectives:

•Conservation of soil fertility

•Maximum reduction of the losses of nutritive elements into the environment

•Nutrient cycles as closed as possible

Minimal requirements: •balanced manure, N and P inputs don’t exceed 10% of the needs

10 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Appropriate share of ecological compensation areas

Objective: Conservation and enrichment of biological diversity and the rural landscape

Minimum requirements:

7% of the agricultural surface of the farm must be devoted to areas of ecological compensation

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Ecological Compensation Areas(examples)• Extensive meadows

• No fertilizer and no pesticides are allowed

• Grass is mown at specific times allowing flowers to turn into seeds (plain: mid-June).

• Meadows used with little intensity• Same conditions as extensive

meadows, except fertilisation (= 30 kg N / ha allowed)

12 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Trend in Ecological Compensations Areas

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

1'00

0 h

a

région demontagnerégion deplaine

Source: FOAG

About 12% of agricultural area

13 Agri-environmental policy in Switzerland / 2007-08-17/201

Crop-rotation

Objectives

Conservation of soil fertility and improvement of plant health

Minimum requirements

Farms> 3 ha :

• % of surface per crop is limited

4 crops

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Soil protection

•Conservation of soil structure and fertility.

•Reduction of erosion, of losses of nutrients and of plant protection products

•.