Direct Sales as a Tool to Preserve High Nature Value Grasslands
Direct Sales as a Tool to Preserve High Nature Value Grasslands

Author(s): Yanka Kazakova-Mateva
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Economy, Business Economy / Management, Agriculture, Sociology, Rural and urban sociology
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: agri-environment policy; permanent pastures; short-supply chains
Summary/Abstract: High Nature Value (HNV) farming areas have been an explicit environmental priority of European agricultural policy since early 2000s. Bulgaria provided targeted support to the HNV grasslands under the agri-environmental measure as early as the SAPARD Programme in 2005 which continued throughout to 2023. HNV grasslands in Natura 2000 areas were supported under the Natura 2000 compensatory measure since 2011. Nevertheless, the HNV farming areas faced multitude challenges, including losing areas to other land uses, reduced nature values and low economic attractiveness. Innovative marketing approaches such as direct sales that have the potential to contribute to the economic feasibility of the extensive farming in HNV areas were officially regulated since 2010. The study aims to explore whether the direct sales of farm products contribute to the preservation of High Nature Value grasslands in Bulgaria, as well as to compare the contributions by the agri-environment and Natura 2000 support and direct sales to the status of HNV grasslands in the country. The data collection was the main challenge in this study. Spatial analysis was applied to estimate the changes in the HNV farmland cover. Correlation analysis tested for statistically significant connections. The loss of HNV farmlands in 2019 in comparison to 2007 was around 40% with varied spatial patterns. The official direct sales registrations and the uptake of the environmental rural development measures also had varied spatial patterns. Three main results were obtained: (1) The High Nature Value grasslands in 2019 have very strong positive relationship with grasslands in Natura 2000 areas, indicating that the designation of Natura 2000 areas provides a certain level of protection for grasslands. (2) The farmlands that were claimed for agri-environmental support in 2008 have a strong relationship to all current HNV grasslands and to the farmers that claim agri-environmental support. This is despite the heavy penalties that were imposed in 2008 for the HNV grasslands assessed as ineligible for CAP support. (3) The farmers supported under the HNV agri-environmental scheme have also a strong positive relationship with the total registered for direct sales. This is the first study in Bulgaria that proves the significant and strong positive connection between the farmers managing HNV grasslands and the direct sales of farm products. It is an important indicator that farmers managing extensive areas can be a lot more open to innovative marketing approaches than other conventional farmers.

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