A Research - Civil Society Joint Approach for Soil Conservation in High Natural Value Areas

Since the existing information on soils level of fertility in the High Natural Value (HNV) eligible area is scarce, a partnership was concluded between a mixed team of soil scientists and civil society environmentalists within the frame of a research project aiming to: (i) appraise the stakeholders perception and views on the importance of soil conservation and environmental friendly land management, (ii) assess the level of fertility in HNV eligible areas and start building-up the first national HNV soil data base and (iii) identify the most relevant soil indicators for designing an expeditious HNV soil monitoring system. The results revealed the strong agreement of the civil society on the recently issued agricultural policies supporting practices under agri-environment measures and a fair existing level of the soil conservation under HNV practices, as long as land and soil careful administration and resource-efficient management are constantly pursued.