Biodiversity Action Plans in Portugal's Agroforestry Business

Biodiversity Action Plans in Portugal’s Agroforestry Business

Oliveira, Nuno Gaspar; Gouveia, Ana Filipa; Antunes, Sandra; Tavares, Maria do Carmo



What is a Biodiversity Action Plan?

The ‘Business & Biodiversity’ Initiative

Biodiversity Hotspots in Portugal

The Agroforestry Sector in Portugal

Certification and Sustainable Management

In Practice…

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AmBioDiv - Valor Natural is a private sector consultancy SME dedicated to the

development os strategies and projects of Conservation and Sustainability.

Our Vision: Have an active roll in society, by providing and delivering the

most apropriated conservation tools for Business and local authorities.

Our Mission: Plan, Do, Check, Act - ‘Business and Biodiversity’ Projects.



Biodiversity Hotspots – Portugal ?!?

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Evaluates and monitors wildlife and habitats with

regional/local interest, with conservation status

(IUCN/ICN Red Book) and included in EU Directives;

Evaluates species with importance in crop protection

and soil conservation;

Define biological indicator groups to assess and

monitor the performance of pro-Conservation

practices;

Target both crop areas and surroundings, including

woodlands, scrublands, streamsides, pounds, set-aside

areas, hedgerows, windbreakers, inter alia, for proper

habitat management.

©AmBioDiv, 2006

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Evaluating the Interactions between agricultural and

non-agricultural land: By monitoring a set of indicators it

will be possible to access how the biodiversity flows and

interacts between the different types of land units;

Changings in land cover: Minimize the impacts on

biodiversity in crop and neighbour plots by managing,

restoring or enhancing set aside areas, waterlines and

hedgerows, and creating conditions for beneficial species

of fauna and flora;

Commited with Nature: In order to comply with the

environmental and social standarts for which the

Sustainability Policy stands for, there is a commitment to

proceed with a business model where farming can coexist

with wildlife protection and natural habitat conservation.

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The ‘Business & Biodiversity’ Initiative In 2007, Portugal launched a Business & Biodiversity initiative aiming to

involve the Portuguese companies in the global effort to stop the loss

of Biodiversity until 2010 and beyond.

The Portuguese Business & Biodiversity initiative is managed by the ICNB

(Institute for Nature Conservation and Biodiversity), and is voluntary.

Each company commits itself to evaluate the impact of its activity on

biodiversity and to improve its management to decrease this impact. The

process and the commitments must be public, and the ICNB is responsible

to secure the transparency.

The protocols are based in a document produced by the

company/organization that summarizes its history, sector of activity,

Biodiversity Strategy and the type of commitments.

The B&B initiative has +40 companies and organizations from different

sectors of activities: agroforestry, financial sector, utilties (water,

energy…), construction and tourism

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The Agroforestry Sector in Portugal

+15% GNP

+60.000 Km2

Wood, pulp, paper, biomass

Cork

Wine

Cattle, milk, meat, leather,

…

+ 2.500.000 jobs (both direct

and indirect)

…Biodiversity!

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Certification and Sustainable Management Slide # 10

Corporate Identity: How does the company values

Nature and Ecology?

Inovation and Competitiveness: Can

Biodiversity become a more attractive / diferenciated product

/ service for the company?

Natural Value: The company is aware of the actual /

potencial value of Biodiversity regarding its patrimony?

Ag

rofo

rest

ry

Pro

du

ctio

n a

nd

M

arke

ts:

Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems : Risk management,

productivity factors

Functional Biodiversity : Natural enemies, pollinators, set aside habitats,

soil protection...

Sustainable Management: Genetic resources (land races), certification:

organic, FSC, GlobalGAP, LEAF, Nature’s Choice...

Co

nse

rvat

ion

Are

as

Biodiversity Assessment, legal / protection status of species and habitats...

High Conservation Value Areas

Ectourism and Local Development / Ecoentrepreneurship

Countdown 2010 – Halting Biodiversity Loss

Stage 1: Business Awareness for Biodiversity

Stage 2: Biodiversity goes to Market

Context: What is the National and

International value for Biodiversity?

‘Business & Biodiversity’ Action Plan



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‘Business & Biodiversity’ Action Plan



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Defining High Conservation Value Areas using the ‘Habitat Aproach’

Habitat A

Sp. Flora A1 Sp. Flora A3Sp. Flora A2 Sp. Flora Ax

ArchitectureStructure

Ecological Complexity (Ecological Succession) Echological Niche (Conservation Value)

Feeding BreedingRefugia Mutualism...

Sp. Fauna A1 Sp. Fauna A3Sp. Fauna A2 Sp. Fauna Ax



In Practice…

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In Practice…

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Even politics agree... If the Montado goes, Biodiversity goes with itParliamentary questions

4 August 2008 E-4506/08

WRITTEN QUESTION by Paulo Casaca (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: Environmental disaster affecting the ‘montado’ system in the Alentejo (Portugal) Answer(s)

The system combining agriculture, forestry and grazing known as the ‘montado’, which is a specific phenomenon of southern Portugal (albeit also existing, in sone cases in a somewhat different shape, in other regions of southern Europe), has been in regression in recent decades thanks to a number of factors, one of them being the discrimination it has suffered under a CAP which has never recognised it as an agricultural system.

Despite the universal recognition today by the scientific community of the crucial role of this productive system in preserving biodiversity and the rural environment, no significant change has yet intervened. The ‘montado’ remains the object of discrimination and indifference, and there is still no consensus on how to diagnose and tackle the problem.

The problem has been rendered far more urgent in recent years by reason of the diseases which have gravely affected the ‘montados’. The newspaper ‘Público’ reported on 21 July 2008 that in the Alentejo alone there are now 1.5 m dead trees and a further 1 million that are severely diseased. Recently, on the occasion of Portugal's biggest agricultural fair, the ‘Ovibeja’, the president of the ‘Forum-ASAJA Huelva’, a farmers' association in western Andalusia (where the problem is similar), proposed solutions involving the total reafforestation of the ‘montado’.

At all events, the crisis of the ‘montado’ is the gravest problem affecting biodiversity and sustainable agriculture in a large swathe of southern Europe, and needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency at European level.

Can the Commission state what measures — e.g. creation of working groups, scientific studies, adaptations of agricultural policy — it has taken or intends to take with a view to tackling this disastrous situation?

Original language of question: PT

Poslední aktualizace: 11. srpna 2008

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So, why is wine important to me?...Slide # 16



Now seriously, why is a CORKED bottle of wine important to me?... Slide # 17

300 years old…and growing…



Recognise this?...Slide # 18



Protected Flowers blooming RIGHT next to Eucaliptus plantations?!?... Slide # 19



Priority Habitats and species from the ‘Habitats Directive’ right next to a industrial Vineyard…?

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92D0pt3 – Flueggea tinctoria galleries and scrubland

6310 - Montados de Quercus spp.



Slide # 21Taking people (even the CEOs)… to see the resuts in practice…



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ZONAS HÚMIDAS MONTADO RIBEIRA DO JAVARDO

MEDIDAS DE GESTÃO CHARCA PEQUENA BARRAGEM

PASTAGENS NATURAIS

(ABRILONGO) PASTAGENS NATURAIS

CULTURAS ARVENSES SEQUEIRO

TROÇO INFERIOR

TROÇO SUPERIOR

TEMPORÁRIAS ASSOCIADAS

1. Não efectuar mobilizações profundas do solo

2. Utilizar os princípios da Agricultura de Conservação

3. Evitar o uso de produtos químicos próximo das linhas e corpos de água e monitorizar a sua qualidade

4. Iniciar um programa de erradicação do Lagostim-vermelho

5. Definir e limitar o número de vias e intensidade dos atravessamentos sobre a ribeira

6. Gestão de manchas desenvolvidas de matos biodiversos

7. Promoção de bosques

8. Pastoreio de passagem por vacas com baixo encabeçamento

9. Delimitar zonas de encharcamento

10. Manter árvores longevas e cavernosas

11. Gestão de bebedouros em pontos estratégicos

12. Manter os acessos abertos na casa do poço

13. Restaurar a funcionalidade de corredor ecológico da ribeira

14. Plantações/sementeiras utilizando material vegetal local

15. Gerir os locais de permanência do gado

16. Gestão de matos recorrendo à “regra dos terços”

17. Adensamento do Montado de Azinho em locais a seleccionar

…In while in the field, ecologists and farmers decide what to do to value and protect Biodiversity, how to do it and when!



Slide # 23Case Study # 1: Herdade do Freixo do Meio : 1700 Hectares of Organic Farming and Cattle boosted by a kitty (European Wildcat Biodiversity Action Plan - Felis sylvestris)



Slide # 24Case Study # 2: 12.000 hectares of Conservation Areas among the Eucaliptus

• Grupo Portucel Soporcel – 4 % Portuguese GNP

• One of Europe’s largest paper producer

• Forest Stewardship Council – FSC Certification

• High Conservation Value Areas - partnership with WWF;

• AmBioDiv provides a RoadMap and training to enable the company’s skills in managing Biodiversity;

• AmBioDiv is the consultancy firm responsable for designing and monitor Biodiversity action Plans for 120.000 hectares – 10 % MUST be Conservation Areas – 12.000 hectares

• The company has to define and establish conservation measures, monitor species and habitats Biodiversity, promote ecological corridors, ect;



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So… If we are worried with the influence of Business in the conservation of Biodiversity (Hotspots) we can:

a) Complain, boicot, shread the newspaper, scream at theTV

b) Write editorial letters and impose complicated (to say the least) conservation science papers to their CEO’s

c) Sit with them, help them to make less of a mess and more of a (Biodiversity) profit, using their own language, playing their own game



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A Dare…

AmBioDiv is always looking for better and more effective ways of enhancing ‘Business & Biodiversity Strategies’

For that, we need good sound R&D

If you’re interested in developing joint projects,FP7, LIFE+, other, please consider us as a potential partner!



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AmBioDiv ~ Valor Natural

Ambiente, Natureza e Sustentabilidade, Lda.

R. Filipe da Mata, 10, 1º Frente, 1600-071 Lisboa

Tel.: (+351) 217 975 132; Fax: (+351) 217 979 141

nuno.gaspar.oliveira@gmail com; [email protected]; www.ambiodiv.com

Herdade do Freixo do Meio ©AmBioDiv, 2007

Thanks for your attention!