Following the 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) farmers are now required to adopt environmental measures in the form of ecological focus areas (EFA). The intention is to promote agricultural practices that are beneficial for climate and the environment. Examples of EFAs are fallow, willow for energy, legume crops, uncultivated field margins and catch crops.
The aims of the project are to evaluate whether EFAs that are implemented in collaboration among farmers, have greater potential to benefit the environment than farmers acting individually as today, and to suggest a design for EFAs that is cost-effective given the potential environmental benefits.
The project is in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental and Climate Research (CEC), financed by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency through the project ”CAP’s Environmental Effects”. It is to be completed by spring 2018.