More effective Agricultural Environmental Schemes by professionalisation of farmer collectives?

Abstract

Agricultural environmental schemes (AES) have been implemented in twenty-eight countries in Europe. In 2013 the agricultural area under agri-environmental schemes was 26.3 % of the utilised agricultural area in the twenty-eight countries (Eurostat, 2017). There is however still mixed evidence about their effectiveness and efficiency (Kleijn, Berendse, Smit, & Gilissen, 2001; Kleijn, Rundlöf, Scheper, Smith, & Tscharntke, 2011; Kleijn & Sutherland, 2003; RLI, 2013). Over the past ten years different directions of enhancing a more effective and efficient AES have been conducted. One of these directions is the collaboration between farmers, government and other organizations. The new EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the period 2015-2020 made it possible for collectives of farmers and other land users to be applicant and final beneficiary of subsidies. The Dutch Government decided on the renewal of the agri-environment scheme (AES). In this new system new farmer collectives have the role of final beneficiary for the AES. This should lead to higher effectiveness of nature management and lower implementation costs. One of the ambitions in the new system of AES is working with ''professional'' farmer collectives (Kamerbrief 390202a3 Nieuwe Stelsel Agrarisch Natuurbeheer, 2013). In 2013 the government and the agriculture associations started an extensive process of development, design and implementation of the new system. In 2015 a countrywide network of 40 new farmer collectives was established. (Snoo et al. 2016). Depending on the results of this period of Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), the next period of CAP 2021-2026 the farmer collectives will have again the role of final beneficiary for the AES. There has not been research about the current professionalization of the farmer collectives. As part of my PhD thesis to gain insight in the professionalization process of the farmer collectives in the new system of AES and the contribution to a more effective and efficient AES. The research question of this paper is: How to conceptualize professionalization of farmer collectives with an assignment for a government task? What are the essential key-elements in the professionalization? Professionalisation is a process by which individuals, organizations and systems in close collaboration become a professional association (Dowling et al., 2014). The first results of this research is a theoretical framework for professionalization checked by farmer collectives. In my presentation I will discuss this framework with examples of the farmer collectives.