How can water-friendly farming be mainstreamed in Europe?
Freshwater protection and restoration should be at the heart of how farming is managed in Europe, according to new recommendations.
Reshaping the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to support freshwater ecosystems by encouraging water-friendly farming practices is a key task, say a team of researchers from the EU MERLIN project in a newly published policy brief.
The researchers draw on cutting-edge research and case studies to outline a vision for water-resilient agricultural landscapes across Europe. They highlight the value of so-called nature-based solutions such as the creation of ponds and wetlands, agroforestry, and the rotational resting of farmland in creating landscapes which support both food production and freshwater protection.
Finding space for healthy freshwaters within Europe’s agricultural landscapes is a key task in supporting both people and nature. More than a third of the continent’s land area is used for farming, which whilst vital for food security and livelihoods, is also a major driver of freshwater habitat degradation.
Around 60% of European floodplains are used for agriculture, and farming activities can significantly contribute to freshwater habitat loss and pollution. At the same time, farmers depend on healthy soils and stable water cycles in order to remain productive, particularly in landscapes increasingly stressed by the effects of the climate emergency.
As a result, encouraging water-friendly farming practices has the potential not only to help restore Europe’s degraded freshwaters, but also help foster more resilient and sustainable food systems.
The authors of the new MERLIN policy brief make a series of recommendations to help shift Europe’s agricultural system towards these goals. They state that CAP payments to farmers should remain tied to high environmental standards, particularly those which benefit rivers, wetlands, lakes and ponds.
They outline how these payments should be linked to a performance-based framework which ensures that they are targeted, and that their impacts on freshwaters are measurable. Moreover, CAP should recognise how the local and sited conditions of different farms influence their ability to implement water-friendly practices.
An awareness of these factors should lead to a more strategic approach to CAP payments to farmers which helps enable a diverse set of farm transitions to secure long-lasting ecosystem benefits, the authors state.
To make this aspiration a reality, farmers need training and support in adopting water-friendly farming approaches. This support needs to be coordinated and collaborative to help join up initiatives across entire catchments and landscapes.
At the same time, it is important that farming practices which harm freshwater ecosystems are avoided. This means targeting payment systems to disincentivise practices such as drainage schemes, irrigation and reservoirs in water-stressed landscapes.
The MERLIN policy brief is released ahead of the next revision of CAP in 2027, and the upcoming Europe-wide adoption of the Nature Restoration Regulation.
“Healthy freshwater ecosystems are not only fundamental for food production but also for drinking water supply, recreational use, economic development, biodiversity, and climate adaptation,” the authors conclude. “Strengthening the synergy between agricultural practices and freshwater protection is therefore essential to ensure long-term resilience and sustainability across sectors.”
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This article is supported by the MERLIN project.
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