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Agri-Environment Footprint: Development of a common generic methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of European agri-environmental schemes (AE-FOOTPRINT) |
Summary: All EU Member States are obliged to monitor and evaluate the environmental, agricultural and socio-economic impacts of their agri-environmental programmes, but there have been no agreed methodologies for doing this. This project developed a harmonised approach to the evaluation of EU agri-environmental schemes and a generic methodology: the Agri-Environmental Footprint Index (AFI). The method involves the use of a multi-criteria analysis approach in which indicators are weighted to reflect the importance placed on them by stakeholders with reference to the particular environmental issues and farm types prevalent in a particular geographical context. Farms are then given scores against each indicator, reflecting environmental value or impact, and the scores combined with the weights to give an index structured according to environmental issues.
Overall purpose: AE-Footprint seeks to develop a common methodology and tools to assess the environmental performance of Agri Environment Schemes.
Results and recommendations: The project has resulted in the development of an aggregated farm-level index known as the Agri-Environmental Footprint Index (AFI), which represents a harmonised approach to evaluation of EU agri-environment schemes. A manual is available which provides guidelines and examples for the use of the AFI methodology in AES evaluation https://www.footprint.rdg.ac.uk/afimanual/
EAFRD priority areas and themes: Competitiveness of agriculture and forestry; Environment and sustainable resource management; Horizontal aspects.
Promoting knowledge and improving human potential; Restructuring, developing physical potential and promoting innovation; sustainable use of agricultural and forestry land; Policy analysis and development; Public goods; Monitoring and evaluation.
Main target end users: Policymakers at EU and national levels; Evaluators of programmes and measures; National and regional farming organisations, environmental NGOs and special interest groups; Agencies responsible for wider environmental monitoring and evaluation; Scientific groups involved in environmental research linked to agricultural landscapes.
Links to projects, groups and forums: A link to a related project remains functional, the IRENA Indicator Report https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2005_6
Project partners: Organisations in DE, DK, EL, EN, ES, FI, FR, HU – for full details see https://www.footprint.rdg.ac.uk/en/partners_en.html
Project study regions: UK (Upper Thames Tributaries; Chilterns); IE (Cork; Sligo); DE (Rheinland-Pfalz); DK (Brædstrup; Slangerup); HU (south; north east); EL (Mani, Messinia, Southern Peloponnesus); FI (River Lepsämänjoki, Uusimaa).
Language(s): DE, DK, EL, EN, ES, FI, FR, HU
Funding source: 6th Framework Programme (FP6)
Start and end date: April 2005- March 2008
Website: https://www.footprint.rdg.ac.uk/en/home_en.html
Project contact:
Project Administrator: Emily Chambers
Centre for Agri-Environmental Research
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
University of Reading
Earley Gate
PO Box 237
Reading
RG6 6AR
UK
(+) 44 118 378 8938
(+) 44 118 378 6067
e.g.chambers@reading.ac.uk
https://www.reading.ac.uk/caer/staff_emily_chambers.html
