Nature Management - Setting the Scene

Evidence from scientific research has shown that the overall relationship between agriculture and biodiversity is tending towards bei ng out of ha lance, seemingly at global Level but very clearly in Large parts of the European Union Members States and elsewhere in Europe. Today, establishing a new balance is a political item: through the activities of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in the work of the FAO, in the enlargement process of the European Union and at national Level. Agriculture used to be a strong sector and the motor behind the development of the countryside while bio-diversity was its weaker cousin. Now, agriculture is trying to find new roles, a major one being the task of maintaining biodiversity and landscapes. This is reflected in a flurry of recent activities: CBD - recommendation on agrobio-diversity; PEBLDS (Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy)- Action Theme 2 Integration into sectors; and a range of policies and measures at national Level. The European Union has also taken the first steps with discussions on Agenda 2000 and the focus within the EC Bio-diversity Strategy Leading to sector integration through the proposed Agro-bio-diversity Action Plan.Research is developing a positive relationship between agriculture and bio-diversity.This is shown in recent work on bio-diversity indicators for sustainable agriculture (OECD workshop) and papers by ECNC ('Establishing Targets to Assess Agricultural Impacts on European Landscapes'). However, European research in this field has focused primarily on the negative impact of agriculture on biodiversity. To reverse this bias it will be necessary to do some or all of the following:Review the relationship between agriculture and bio-diversity at CBD Level, Pan-European Level, EU level, and national Level.Review the economic value of bio-diversity for agriculture.Review the impact of Agenda 2000 proposals on the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity.Review the revision of the CAP on EU accession countries and their bio-diversity.Find new ways for agricultural. production patterns to work positively towards maintaining biodiversity in both West and East and to monitor their implementation.Finally there is a growing realisation of the need for a European Bio-diversity Monitoring Initiative, which would seek to assess the real issues affecting agriculture and bio-diversity.