Effects of the European Union Agricultural and Environmental Policies in the Sustainability of Most Common Mediterranean Soils

José Manuel Rato Nunes, António Bonito, Luis Loures, José Gama, Antonio López-Piñeiro, David Peña and Ángel Albarrán
Additional contact information
José Manuel Rato Nunes: Instituto Superior de Agronomia, University of Lisbon, LEAF, Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
António Bonito: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Av. 14 de janeiro 21, 7350 Elvas, Portugal
Luis Loures: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Av. 14 de janeiro 21, 7350 Elvas, Portugal
José Gama: Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Av. 14 de janeiro 21, 7350 Elvas, Portugal
Antonio López-Piñeiro: Área de Edafología y Química Agrícola (Facultad de Ciencias) and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
David Peña: Área de Edafología y Química Agrícola (Facultad de Ciencias) and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Ángel Albarrán: Área de Producción Vegetal (Escuela de Ingenierías Agrarias) and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Ctra. de Cáceres, 06071 Badajoz, Spain

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: Agro-environmental measures promoted by the European Union focus mainly on environmental protection by maintaining sustainable levels of productivity that are adequate to the agro-ecological conditions of each region on different Member States. Among these European Union promoted measures the one known as “Extensive Forage Systems” is particularly relevant for the Mediterranean Region. In order to analyze the impact of this measure and to verify if the high expenditure of communitarian funds, with its implementation in Mediterranean soils, is aligned with the predicted benefits, a seven-year study in a southern Portugal region was conducted. In this regard, several soil chemical parameters such as organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, “available” phosphorus, “available” potassium and heavy metal levels (Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb and Ni), were assessed, in 1329 different plots in order to represent some of the existing diversity of the Mediterranean environment, identified by the Portuguese Parcel Identification System, and considering the possibility to evaluate the evolution of these parameters on the main soil types of the region. The obtained results enabled us to verify that the application of the agro-environmental measure “Extensive Forage Systems” did not lead, during the 7 years of the study, to any significant change in terms of organic matter, soil pH and/or heavy metals content. Still it contributed for a small growth on “available” phosphorus and potassium levels and to a significant increase on Soil electrical conductivity (EC). As a final conclusion we can refer that the application of the agro-environmental measure “Extensive Forage Systems”, in soil, clime and cultural conditions prevailing in this study (Typical Mediterranean conditions from the South of Europe), did not reach its main objective, which was to increase the organic matter content in soils.

Keywords: community subsidies; agro-environmental measures; Extensive Forage Systems; Mediterranean environment; soil chemical parameters (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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