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Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation (SoCo)

Summary: SoCo is a study of Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation. A final report provides an executive summary, a synthesis of the findings 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.

Role and priorities/objectives in knowledge transfer & innovation: The SoCo project had three main objectives:

  1. to improve the understanding of soil conservation practices in agriculture and their links with other environmental protection objectives;
  2. to analyse how farmers can be encouraged through appropriate policy measures to adopt soil conservation practices; and
  3. to make this information available to relevant stakeholders and policy makers in a EU-wide context.

Results and recommendations: The project delivered material and results in the form of analysis reports, fact sheets, case study results, peer reviewed scientific publications, oral and poster presentations at policy and scientific meetings, and a series of workshop reports and presentations. See https://soco.jrc.ec.europa.eu/output.html

EAFRD priority area(s) and themes: Competitiveness of agriculture and forestry; Environment and sustainable resource management; Horizontal aspects. Sustainable use of agricultural land; Policy development and analysis.

Main target end users: Policy and law makers.

Project partners: The project was conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and more precisely by the Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Economy Unit (AGRILIFE) of the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS), the Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resources Unit and the Land Management and Natural Hazards Unit of the Institute for Environmental Sustainability (IES), in close cooperation with the Environment, GMO and genetic resources Unit of DG Agriculture and Rural development.

Project study regions: The SoCo project comprised 10 case studies in the EU-27 taking into account territorial coverage, farm structures, typical agricultural soil degradation problems, farming systems and practices, existing policy measures and institutional conditions, in these regions: West-Flanders, Flanders (Belgium); Belozem, Rakovski (Bulgaria); Svratka river basin, South Moravia & Vysocina-Highlands (Czech Republic); Bjerringbro / Hvorslev, Viborg (Denmark);Midi-Pyrénées (France); Uckermark, Brandenburg (Germany); Rodopi, Anatoliki Makedonia, Thraki (Greece); Marche region (Italy); Guadalentín Basin, Murcia (Spain); Axe & Parrett catchments, Somerset / Devon (UK).

Language(s): Final report: EN, DE, FR; Fact Sheets in many EU languages; other material in EN.

Funding source: EU - Joint Research Centre

Start and end date: 2007-2009

Website: https://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/projects/SOCO/

Project contact:
The overall coordination and the methodology of the Case studies was carried out by Humboldt University of Berlin, Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences, Division of Resource Economics.