Final report on the project ‘Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation (SoCo)
- Authors: SoCo Project Team
Editors: Geertrui Louwagie, Stephan Hubertus Gay, Alison Burrell - EUR Number: 23820 EN
- Publication date: 6/2009
Abstract
Agriculture occupies a substantial proportion of the European land, and consequently plays an important
role in maintaining natural resources and cultural landscapes, a precondition for other human activities in
rural areas. Unsustainable farming practices and land use, including mismanaged intensification as well
as land abandonment, have an adverse impact on natural resources. Having recognised the environmental
challenges of agricultural land use, the European Parliament requested the European Commission in
2007 to carry out a pilot project on ’Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation through simplified
cultivation techniques‘ (SoCo). The project originated from a close cooperation between the Directorate-
General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and the Joint Research Centre (JRC). It was
implemented by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) and the Institute for Environment
and Sustainability (IES).
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.
Documents available
| Document | Format | Size | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publication | application/pdf | 8.73 MB | HTTP FTP |
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