Multi-Functional Land Use Is Not Self-Evident for European Farmers: A Critical Review

Abstract

Soils perform more functions than primary productivity. Examples of these functions are the recycling of nutrients, the regulation and purification of water, the regulation of the climate, and supporting biodiversity. These abilities are generally referred to as the soil quality. Soil management that favors primary productivity may have positive and negative impacts on the other functions, and vice versa, depending on soil and climatic conditions. All these functions are under pressure, particularly in intensive agriculture. In the absence of mandatory regulations, most European farmers give limited attention to other functions than primary productivity in spite of recommendations by scientists, society and policy makers to acknowledge the ecosystem services provided by soils. The present paper analyses the underlying causes of this limited attention for the multi-functionality of soils by farmers. It is concluded that their focus on primary productivity may stem from (1) insufficient visible proof for soil degradation and benefits of preventive measures over curative measures, (2) limited awareness or conviction of long-term synergies, (3) insufficient remuneration of ecosystem services by society or compensation of yield penalties in favor of these services, (4) lacking trustworthy knowledge about and support for multi-functional soil management, and (5) absence of incentives and regulations on soil management and their enforcement. All these shortcomings need to be addressed by advisors, scientists, and policy makers, whilst acknowledging the need for underpinning and differentiation of incentives and regulations.

How to Realize Multifunctional Land Use as a Contribution to Sustainable Development

“…The EU-Green Deal, presented in 2019, follows the SDG principles. Both the SDGs and the Green Deal, not mentioned by Schröder et al (2020), are important because they put sustainable development in a clear, transparent and legally binding framework while creating specific goals to aim at, defining ecosystem services related to land use (Robinson et al, 2012;Keesstra et al, 2016).…”

“…This opinion paper will argue that setting specific environmental goals, initiating payment procedures for ecosystem services and introducing goal oriented policies, can potentially overcome the reluctance of farmers that now: "feel in the dark what to do" (Schröder et al, 2020). But if the scientific community does not indicate sources of light who will?…”

“…But if the scientific community does not indicate sources of light who will? Moreover, computer analysis of the soil-water-atmosphere-plant system can quantify effects of soil degradation but, more importantly, the major future effects of climate change that should already affect the current discours by: "quantifying long term implications" that are now largely absent according to Schröder et al (2020).…”

“…Farmers are hestitant about multifunctionality because of at least five problems: 1) insufficient visible proof of soil degradation and benefits of preventive vs. curative measures; 2) limited awareness of long term synergies; 3) insufficient renumeration of ecosystem services: 4) lacking trustworthy knowledge; 5) absence of incentives and regulations on soil management and their enforcement (Schröder et al, 2020). Reference will be made to these five problems in the remaining part of this paper.…”

“…How to feed 9.7 billion world inhabitants in 2050 is a key question and that farmers put climate regulation at the bottom of their listing of important multifunctional factors in Schröder et al (2020), painfully demonstrates that the scientific community faces a challenge to improve their communication practices.…”