Soil conservation is a key element of sustainable agriculture
Commissioner Fischer-Boel to open Soil Conservation workshop on 22 May
Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boel and French MEP Stéphane Le Foll will open a workshop on Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation (SoCo) in Brussels on 22 May. The event's main objectives are to inform stakeholders in Member States of the ongoing SoCo study, establish a platform for cooperation on the project and gather stakeholder opinions and experience in the area.
Discussion will deal with the current agricultural and soil conservation context, focusing on soil conservation practices from an agricultural perspective, the costs and benefits of these practices and the existing policy framework. Participants will include representatives of farming organisations, consumer associations, environmental and rural development NGOs and soil associations
Background information on the SoCo project:
The Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation project was launched by the European Commission's DG Agriculture following an initiative of the European Parliament. SoCo is carried out by two institutes of the Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC): the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) and the Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES).
SoCo's aims are: (i) better understanding of soil conservation practices in agriculture and their links with other environmental protection objectives; (ii) analysing how farmers can be encouraged to adopt soil conservation practices, and (iii) providing information to relevant stakeholders and policy makers in an EU wide context.
For further information on the workshop, please contact: jrc-ipts-agrilife-secretariat@ec.europa.eu
14/05/08