Project LIFE04

ENV/E/000269

ECAF is a partner of the Project LIFE04 ENV/E/000269. The beneficiary of this Project is ASAJA-Sevilla. If you want to download an explanatory brochure, click here.

To visit the project web site, click here.

Objectives, actions and expected results of the Project are as follows:

   Objectives 

1. Reduction of soil loses caused by erosion compared with conventional techniques;

2. Reduction of the colmatation of wetlands by sediments;

3. Increase in the primary and secondary biological productivity of wetlands (not quantified) due to water transparency;

4. Training activities regarding conservation agriculture and integrated production reaching a minimum of 25% of the farmers within the ambit of the project;

5. Increase awareness on the part of farmers regarding the meaning and importance of the Natura 2000 Network;

6. Publicity activities reaching all sectorial organisations of farmers, livestock farmers and ecologists of the 6 municipalities involved (Lebrija, Utrera, Coripe, Osuna, La Lantejuela y Martín de la Jara);

7. Recuperation (not quantified) of freatic levels:

8. Investigate possibilities of going towards organic farming.

   Actions and means involved

1. Inventory of the erosion levels of the agricultural soils within the ambit of the project on a scale 1:20.000 with U.S.L.E. methodology and geographical information system (GIS) with download of data in Arcview software;

2. Developed a GIS of the project area (using Arcview software) including agronomic and ecological data;

3. Selection of the most adequate conservation technique according to the characteristics of the demonstrative plots through the development of a Virtual Decision Making System;

4. Monitoring of the process using technical specification cards, including parameters such as climate, soil, crops, proposed conservation technique and monitoring criteria;

5. Creation of a Sustainable Agro-wetlands Office which will centralize and coordinate the actions taken;

6. Training courses for farmers of the demonstration plots regarding soil conservation agriculture, integrated production, efficient use of fertilisers, Natura 2000 Network and EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS);

7. Publicity actions regarding the techniques used and results obtained reaching all the farmers of the project area;

8. Analysis of the technical specifications cards compared with conventional agriculture results;

9. Actions on demonstration plots following the proposed model;

10. Quantification and documentation of the environmental benefits: colmatation of wetlands, transparency, BOD₅, primary and secondary productivity, census of the fauna, soil structure and composition;

11. Elaboration of a web page, posters and informative leaflets

12. Organisation and celebration of an International Conference regarding “Active participation by farmers in the conservation of wetlands through sustainable farming systems”;

13. Design of a Wetlands Management Model which could be transferred to other areas with similar problems;

14. EMAS certification of the demonstration plots by authorized entities.

   Expected results

1. 60 ha of demonstration plots adopting sustainable farming techniques and EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme within a period of 3 years;

2. Elaboration of a Virtual Decision Making System based on the GIS of the project area with agro-ecological parameters;

3. Establishment of a Sustainable Agro-wetlands Office;

4. Reduction of the levels of sediments, fertilisers and pesticides in the runoff flows and improvement of the conservation status of the wetlands within the ambit of the project;

5. Development of a methodology to evaluate the economic benefits for the local inhabitants of using sustainable agriculture techniques and EMAS certification;

6. Development of a model for the active participation of farmers in land management.

Go to the main page of ECAF