Field margins in Heilbronn, Germany

General

National Id:

Germany_01

Site name:

Heilbronn

Summary:

In 1992, a field margin programme has been started by the city of Heilbronn, Germany. Farmers involvement plays an important role within the programme, which includes a compensation scheme for production losses. The establishment of the field margins aim mainly at controling erosion and run-off as well as at promoting biodiversity. Infiltration of rainwater into the soil is about 20% higher in the field margins than in the fields.

NUTS Code:

Stuttgart

RBD code:

DE2000

Transboundary:

Data provider:

Guillaume Michel, ACTeon

Source(s):

Das Ackerrandstreifenprogramm

Agrarumweltprogramm der Stadt HeilbronnAktualisierte Richtlinie für das AckerrandstreifenprogrammStaatliche Beihilfe Nummer N539/2009, 2010-2013

NWRM(s) implemented in the case study:

Buffer strips and hedges

Longitude:

9.21

Latitude:

49.14

Site information

Climate zone:

cool temperate moist

Mean rainfall:

758

Mean rainfall unit:

mm/year

Average temperature:

9,9

Type:

Case Study Info

Light or indepth?:

Light

Monitoring maintenance

Monitoring impacts effects:

Administrative annual cost information:

One third of a full time worker at the administration for green areas.

Biophysical impacts

Runoff reduction:

Runoff reduction unit:

% Percent

Lessons, risks, implications...

Key lessons:

Since the start of the field margins programme of the Heilbronn municipality in 1992, about 200 km of field margins have been managed. In this program, a large place is reserved for the involvement of farmers in all stages including the design phase. A compensation scheme targeting farmers and land owners has been designed by the municipality and its partners in accordance with the European legislation on agricultural subsidies.

Financing mechanism information:

Compensation scheme for the lost harvest and for the needed tools.

Financing difficulties:

Success factor(s):

Type	Role	Comments
Communication activities	main factor	Close relationship of trust between farmers and the municipality (particularly the administration for green areas which coordinates the program). This is helped by the areas on which the program is implemented (Heilbronn = a small territory, farmers in Heilbronn work only in Heilbronn, etc.).
Attitude of decision makers	main factor	Elected representatives in Heilbronn agree on this program. There is therefore a very limited risk of no financing.
Attitude of the public	main factor	Field margins helped decreasing conflicts between inhabitants and farmers. The public supports hence the program.
Attitude of relevant stakeholders	main factor	Field margins helped decreasing conflicts between inhabitants and farmers. Farmers support therefore the program.
Financing possibilities	main factor	Farmers are paid in order to compensate the decrease of crops.

Financing:

Type	Comments
Local funds	The "Ackerrandstreifprogramm" (Programme for field margins) is a programme of subsidies for farmers concerned by a loss of their revenues due to the implementation of field margins. Subsidies are based on the amount of the variable cost margin. The amount of subsidies is defined in directives (from the municipality). 140 000 €/year from the municipality. The municipality is the only financer (no funds from the Land, the Federal state or the EU).

Type

Comments

Local funds

The "Ackerrandstreifprogramm" (Programme for field margins) is a programme of subsidies for farmers concerned by a loss of their revenues due to the implementation of field margins. Subsidies are based on the amount of the variable cost margin. The amount of subsidies is defined in directives (from the municipality). 140 000 €/year from the municipality. The municipality is the only financer (no funds from the Land, the Federal state or the EU).

Barrier:

Type	Role	Comments
Legal obligations / restrictions	main barrier	Administrative procedures are difficult to carry out for a municipality (for example the notification to the EU).

Driver:

Type	Role	Comments
Availability of subsidies	secondary driver	According to the directive of the municipality concerning the Field Margins Programme : Funding will be provided as long as the municipal budget allows it.

Socio-economic

Costs total:

140000

Costs total information:

In the budget of the Heilbronn Municipality, 140 000 €/year are dedicated to the Field Margins Programme.

Compensations basis information:

601 €/ha + a variable part depending on type of field margin

Compensations nr beneficiaries:

Compensations nr beneficiaries information:

94 farmers or land owners are concerned by the programme

Compensations scheme information:

One part of the payments aims at compensating the reduced gross margin (601 €/ha). The second part depends on the type of field margin. It is designed in order to cover costs linked to the care of field margins. From 2011 onwards, total costs are: - Field margins: 1250 €/ha + seeds - Field margins (fallow land): 1170 €/ha - Field margin with a row of trees: 1740 €/ha + trees - Field margins with an hedge: 2900 €/ha + plants

Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Information on Ecosystem improved biodiversity:

Field margins are designed in order to promote biodiversity. The density of earthworms in field margins has been improved (about twice more earthworms in field margins than in the neighbouring field).

Ecosystem provisioning services:

Information on Ecosystem provisioning services:

Some rows of fruit trees and wood trees have been planted in the field margins. They provide wood and fruits.

Policy, general governance and design targets

Part of wider plan:

Policy pressure:

Policy requirement directive:

Policy impact:

Policy wider plan:

Wider plan type	Wider plan focus	Name	Comments
Local	Agriculture	Agro-environmental programme of Heilbronn	The Agro-environmental programme of Heilbronn has been approved by the European Commission in 2010 until 2013. For the next period 2014-2020, a new notification to the European Commission has been made under the same conditions than before. The EU has approved the program after prolonged procedures. However, the EU does not grant co-financing. The cities of Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg and Bietigheim-Bissingen finance their agri-environment schemes to 100%.

Policy area:

Policy target:

Target purpose
Erosion Control
Runoff control
Oher Societal Benefits

Design & implementations

Application scale:

City

Installation date:

1992

Age:

Area (ha):

Area subject to Land use change or Management/Practice change (ha):

Size:

200

Size unit:

Basis of design:

Field margins (size, localization...) have been designed taking into account the ways of water runoff, soils types, slopes, etc.

Contractural arrangements:

Design contractual arrangement:

Arrangement type	Role	Responsibility	Name	Comments
Contractual agreement			"Pflegeconzept"	Agreement between the municipality and the farmer about management rules of field margins
Institutional arrangement			Notification of the program at the European Commission	Subsidies to farmers have to bi notified to the European Commission

Design consultation activity:

Activity stage	Name	Comments
Design phase	Cooperation with farmers and land owners	Cooperation with farmers and land owners took place during the planning and design phase through meetings and field meetings as well as discussion with groups or individual farmers.
Other	Exhibition about the field margin programme
	Numerous articles in the press, radio interviews...

Design land use change:

Design authority:

Authority type	Role	Name	Comments
Other	Initiation of the measure	Heilbronn Municipality	The Heilbronn Municipality initiated the programme. It is involved in all other phases of the programme (through its administration for Green Areas) design, implementation, financing, monitoring... The Municipality establishes directives which define the rules of the Field Margins Programmes
Farmers	Implementation	Farmers	94 farmers and land owners. Interested farmers are involved in the design of field margins with representatives of the municipality
Private property owners	Implementation	Landowners	94 farmers and land owners.
Other		Administration for Green areas of the Heilbronn Municipality	This administration of the municipality is in charge of all green areas of Heilbronn (parks, children playgrounds, cemetery, etc.), as well as the field margins programme. It is responsible for the coordination of the program
Farmers		Kreisbauernverband Heilbronn e.V.	Farmers association around Heilbronn. It has been involved in the project. It is a farmer lobbying wanting more subsidies for field margins.
Other		Ludwigsburg and Bietigheim-Bissingen	Two neighbouring municipalities. For the notification to the European Commision, a common request (containing programs of the three cities) was sent.
Farmers		Ortsverein Landwirtschaft	Local associations of farmers
Other		Department for nature protection of Heilbronn	Involved in the definition of rules for implementing and managing field margins ("Pflegekonzept")
Other		Administration for agriculture in Heilbronn	Involved in the definition of rules for implementing and managing field margins ("Pflegekonzept")
Other		Minister for rural areal of Baden-Wí¼rttemberg	Provides support to the municipality for the notification of the program to the European Commission

Last updated: 01 Jan 2015 | Top

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Field margins in Heilbronn, Germany

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