Delphi study on innovative contracts for agri-environmental payments

Abstract

The report summarises the results of a Delphi study carried out in the Contracts2.0 project. The reports key findings: The report presents the detailed results of a Delphi survey conducted about innovative agri-environmental and climate measures among European decision-makers, experts, NGOs and farmers. The Delphi had three consecutive rounds between March 2021 and May 2022. The report presents the three rounds without contextualizing the results; a more detailed analysis of the Delphi research can be found as a public deliverable of the project: D4.3. Considering the characteristics of currently typical AECM contracts, respondents highlighted the need for more flexibility, improved monitoring and control mechanisms, and better regional differentiation (i.e.g tailor-made solutions which adapt to regional specificities both in terms of the environmental and the socio-economic context). The overly complicated nature of some of the existing schemes were mentioned as a limitation, based on which some respondents argued for simplified contracts. AECM is the most popular contract type combining the different elements the most popular contract would be an AECM using both result based and action based elements, with a medium long contract signed by individual farmers There is almost a consensus around seeing innovative contract elements in combination with mainstream contracts as top-ups. At the same time, it is clear that respondents are afraid of an increasing bureaucracy, thus they could imagine a re-design of the current AECM administration. Flexibility is a key -point in the adaptability at the EU level; more than half of the respondents think that the ideal model can be implemented at EU level if there is a possibility for regional adaptation; only a minority assumes that the ideal model cannot be implemented. Respondents see ideal contract types highly beneficial: there is a consensus that those will have a positive impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services, on European farmers' knowledge and attitudes ...