Local agri-environmental operations in France - Conditions of development and evaluation

Abstract

After a careful and late starting, local agri-environmental schemes have rapidly spread out in France. Different questions have been discussed during interviews with local experts in order to analyse the development and the implementation conditions of the French approved between 1990 and 1995 local schemes. This paper offers a synthesis of the replies to some questions: who has been associated with the development of the local scheme? Has a preliminary statement been carried out, in order to define the environmental stakes and to know precisely the local farming systems and their practices? How have been calculated the costs of farm practices in the contract specifications? Have local evaluation works been implemented? Further Cemagref has made a techno-economic assessment of the additional costs arising from recommended farm practices. All together works bring a contribution to the evaluation of agri-environmental measures.