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Description
The project is a complex and innovative approach to the issue of soil quality in agriculture in Alba, Bistrita, Cluj and Mures counties, proposing an integrated approach by involving authorities with competences in the field of soil quality preservation, farmers and producers and agricultural high school and university students. The Romanian Agriculture is marked by a limited awareness of protection and conservation of production means, more specifically the soil, due to the poor professional training of people in agriculture and doubled by the limited capacities of responsible authorities to monitor and ensure the implementation of the applicable regulations with regard to preserving the quality of the soil and to provide adequate support and access to technical solutions to the farmers. This affects not only the farmer themselves, but also the people living in those regions, as the methods used by farmers so far also negatively affect drinking water quality and biodiversity. The project proposes a combination of activities aimed at raising awareness of different target groups based on research and dissemination of results, a component of monitoring the competences and capacities of public authorities in ensuring preservation of soil quality and of the practices of farmers and small producers to use and protect the soil. The advocacy component promotes good practices and proposals for solutions. The expected results include a series of documents (research and monitoring reports of legal competences, capacities, practices and challenges that are used to define good practices and practical solutions, all developed with the direct involvement of beneficiaries) and a series of monitoring tools for authorities. The project will be implemented in partnership with the Foundation for Regional Economy and Agriculture Promotion which has a vast experience in agriculture.
Summary of project results
The project is a complex and innovative approach to the issue of soil quality in agriculture in Alba, Bistrita, Cluj and Mures counties, proposing an integrated approach by involving authorities with competences in the field of soil quality preservation, farmers and producers and agricultural high school and university students. The Romanian Agriculture is marked by a limited awareness of protection and conservation of production means, more specifically the soil, due to the poor professional training of people in agriculture and doubled by the limited capacities of responsible authorities to monitor and ensure the implementation of the applicable regulations with regard to preserving the quality of the soil and to provide adequate support and access to technical solutions to the farmers. This affects not only the farmer themselves, but also the people living in those regions, as the methods used by farmers so far also negatively affect drinking water quality and biodiversity.
The aim of the project has been achieved by the following activities:1) Researching European and national legislation, important for the presentation of the current framework; 2) Dissemination of the findings (research) to the relevant actors – agricultural high schools, farmers, students at agricultural universities; 3) Development of a monitoring and information tool for Local Authorities and the institutions at the county and regional level, for evaluation their capacity to implement the legislation; 4) Identifying good practices and organizing study visits for the local actors in the field - to link the legislation part to concrete actions. 5) Piloting soil testing for 40 farmers and providing specific recommendations - this action led to a change in the way agricultural crops were organized; 6) Advocacy at the level of DAJ, MADR and the Agricultural Commission of the Parliament, an important activity for the introduction of the national program for soil testing.
The results of the project were: a research on the legislation carried out by students and experts, presentations among 5 agricultural high schools, 208 students and among 270 farmers; developing tools to monitor the capacity of public authorities and farmers to implement soil quality conservation measures (33 Administrative Units, 20 relevant institutions and 160 farmers who responded to the monitoring tool); 85 students and 20 farmers participated at the study visits and improved their knowledge; four advocacy meetings at the county level and two at the central level with executive and legislative public authorities. These activities contributed to changing the perception of soil management for the target group involved and the understanding of the importance of soil testing as a practice to be adopted in the future by farmers in their own activity.