PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Ebro delta, a wetland system of about 33 000 hectares, is one of the most important wetlands in the Mediterranean. It has been designated as a Nature Park and a Special Protection Area for Birds. It is of great significance at the European level because it is a vital staging point on bird migration routes and it contains a considerable number of birds listed on Annex I of the Birds Directive. More than 180.000 waterfowl winter, and about 40.000 pairs nest in the delta. These facts also explain why it has been included in the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands. Most of the delta is occupied by rice-fields, even though significant natural areas still remain, such as coastal lagoons, marshes, springs, dunes and floodplain forests. The problems facing the area stem from the massive tensions between economic activities and the conservation of natural resources, most clearly seen through the impact of agriculture (eutrophication, the use of pesticides and changes to the local hydrology) on the natural aquatic environments of the delta (lagoons and marshes).
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE project was defined as a demonstration project with potential for far-reaching application. Experimental cultivation of 60 hectares of ricefield was foreseen, employing different management models (ecological farming, farming with agro-environmental methods and conventional farming methods) in order to establish the economic and technical viability of models compatible with the conservation and regeneration of natural values. Then, it was planned to disseminate the positive aspects of these models locally, to promote their adoption elsewhere in the delta and in other comparable zones. Information and awareness activities were considered indispensable to ensure participation by the local inhabitants, essential if the project was to develop favourably and achieve its objectives. In parallel, scientific monitoring was foreseen to evaluate changes in the rice-fields as a result of the application of the different experimental management models. A zonal programme of agri-environmental measures to complement the measures undertaken by the LIFE project was also foreseen.
RESULTS
The project, developed by the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife), managed to carry out a comparative analysis of four different farming systems: set-aside of rice-fields, traditional rice growing, agri-environmental and organic ones in the Delta where rice cultivation is the main activity, affecting up to 65% of the 32.000 hectares.
12 hectares were cultivated using conventional farming methods on land rented by SEO/BirdLife. 11,1 ha were also rented for growing rice in accordance with the regulatory board for Organic Agriculture. In these plots, rice was planted and no fertilizers or pesticides were used. On the contrary, other methods were used to combat pests, such as regulating the flooding period and level, weeding by hand and pheromone traps against the main rice pest (Chilo supressalis), etc. Since 1999 the rice was sown from a helicopter instead of being planted. This solution implied decrease in the costs and higher plant densities. Agri-environmental farming was implemented on 11.7 hectares in accordance with the specifications of a Zonal Programme (approved in February 1998 by the Regional Government). Mechanical methods for weed control and slow-release fertilizers were used. In parallel, rice fields were set aside in 2 estates purchased by the beneficiary ("Del Clot" and of "Riet Vell" reserves) to recover natural habitats.
Agronomic and ecological monitoring was carried out in all the plots and an external advisor analysed the viability of the organic farming in terms of economic profits. The objectives were to assess the economical performance of the three farming methods and their effects on the conservation of habitats and species. Firstly, it demonstrated that alternative methods (and particularly organic ones) implied clear improvements for the fauna and flora present. Feeding habitat for bird species clearly improved by using alternative rice farming methods, whether organic or agri-environmental.
The results also showed that both organic and agri-environmental farming were profitable, even if yields were slightly below those of conventional farming and production costs were higher. These alternative systems could be economically viable as long as it receives support from Agri-environmental subsidies, or a higher sale price (in the case of organic rice). The key factors for the feasibility of the alternative methods (and particularly the organic farming) are the stages after production (marketing channels and selling).
These arguments were being used by SEO/BirdLife to encourage local farmers to change the conventional rice farming into other practices with less environmental impact and possibly more profitable, by taking into account trends in the global rice market. Thanks to the wide awareness-raising campaign and the presence of beneficiary’s staff in the project area, practices more compatible with nature conservation started to be considered as a real alternative.