Set aside

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Fallow grassland created by set-aside .

The set-aside is an agricultural policy tool to reduce the amount of agricultural products to control the market. The increase in productivity and yields led to an overproduction of agricultural products for food. The farms were motivated by bonuses to take individual areas out of food production. The production of industrial raw products remained possible on these areas.

History of set-aside in the European Union

The control measure was introduced in the European Union (EU) at the end of the 1980s as part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in order to limit the agricultural overproduction at the time. As a result of increased demand for agricultural products, set-aside in the EU was abolished in 2009. The set-aside ( English set-aside ), the introduction of which was primarily intended to limit grain production in the EU, was first introduced on a voluntary basis in 1988/89. Set- aside became compulsory after the 1992 McSharry reform , which introduced area-based compensation. The farmers covered by the scheme had to set aside a certain percentage of their land in order to receive the direct payments . For example, a set-aside rate of 15% was set for the 1993/94 cultivation year, but this could be adjusted annually in line with market and price developments. So-called small producers, whose cultivation area did not exceed a certain limit, were exempt from the set-aside obligations.

Initially, the rate of compulsory set-aside was set a year, in fiscal year 1999/2000 it was then permanently set out to simplify to 10%. For the 2004/05 cultivation year it was reduced to 5%, and then in 2005 it was transferred to regionally different set-aside rates as part of the Luxembourg resolutions . With the implementation of the Luxembourg resolutions, the reference area for determining the set-aside area was also changed. In the past, the grain and oilseed area was used to calculate the individual set-aside areas, but with the resolutions of the agricultural reform (mid-term review), calculation based on the total arable area has been established. In the arable regions with a high proportion of vegetables, potatoes and sugar beet, this led to a considerable expansion of the set-aside areas in 2005/06.

Different forms of set-aside

Economic annual shutdown

In the case of compulsory set aside, farmers have to set aside part of their arable land so that they can receive direct payments as part of agricultural subsidies. In crop year 2008, this has been exposed for the first time and was abolished for the harvest year of 2009. In addition, farmers can voluntarily set aside areas in compliance with the cross-compliance regulations, whereby these must be kept in good condition. For arable land this means at least once a year mulching after June 15 and for grassland either once a year mulching or every two years the removal of the crop.

Long-term shutdown

Until 1996 there was the possibility of setting aside arable land for five years. In addition, there have been long-term shutdowns for environmental purposes or in connection with initial afforestation .

Area development of the decommissioning

Set aside in Germany 1993–2005

For the development of the set-aside and the cultivation of renewable raw materials (Nawaro) on set-aside areas in Germany, see the adjacent figure. In 2007 an area of ​​3.8 million hectares was compulsorily set aside in the EU.

Cultivation of renewable raw materials on set-aside areas

With the adoption of the mandatory set-aside in 1992, it was also stipulated that renewable raw materials (Nawaro) may be cultivated on set-aside areas. In order for the products from set-aside areas to really only be used in the non-food sector, the farmers had to submit a series of evidence (notifications, cultivation contracts, deposits, etc.) to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). This resulted in considerable transaction costs . The resolutions in the area of agricultural reform ( mid-term review ) have also confirmed the cultivation of renewable raw materials on set-aside areas.

Abolition of compulsory set-aside

In 2007 the prices for agricultural commodities rose massively. The reasons were, among other things, the increased demand for grain due to the expansion of bioethanol production , but also low stocks, crop failures and other reasons. Due to the sharp rise in demand for grain in 2007 and the associated massive rise in prices for agricultural raw materials, the mandatory set-aside in the EU for 2008 was initially suspended. As part of the Health Check ( Health Check ) of the common agricultural policy was finally abolished by 2009 and the related payment claims have been converted to normal. Because of the high agricultural prices expected in the future, no further need for set-aside is seen.

However, this does not oblige farmers to cultivate their fallow land. The cross-compliance regulations also apply to these areas. If the agricultural price level is high, it can be expected that voluntary set-aside will only be carried out at border locations. The European Commission therefore reckoned that 1.6 to 2.9 million hectares would be put back into production after the closure was abolished. In Germany, the set-aside area halved in 2008.

Habitat fallow

The purpose of the set-aside is to reduce the production of food and feed to relieve the market . The fallow habitat created by this regulation also showed a number of ecological advantages for the environment. In the event of long-term shutdown, B. to relieve the ecosystems by reducing the discharge of fertilizers and pesticides . Likewise, new (more extensive) biotopes can form on the multi-year set-aside areas (fallow fields). As long as no plant species are sown, annual arable weeds usually develop first and after a few years types of ruderal meadows prevail . In addition, the set-aside areas form retreats for various wild animals. After the abolition of set-aside, there are increased demands for replacement measures such as the establishment of ecological focus areas within the framework of EU agricultural policy. Sometimes other ecological measures are already taking place, such as B. the field verge program instead.

literature

  • Carsten Jürgens: Remote sensing of set-aside areas in agriculture . In: The Geosciences . tape 11 , no. 5-6 , 1993, pp. 158–163 , doi : 10.2312 / geosciences . 1993.11.158 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Regulation (EEC) No. 1765/92 of the Council of 30 June 1992 introducing a support system for producers of certain arable crops . In: Official Journal. No. L 181 of July 1, 1992, pp. 12-20.
  2. ↑ Summary of Agricultural Legislation, Online ( Memento of the original from February 16, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / europa.eu
  3. ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 2322/2003 of the Council of December 17, 2003 deviating from Regulation (EC) No. 1251/1999 with regard to the set-aside obligation for the 2004/05 marketing year . In: Official Journal of the European Union. L 345. 46th year. December 31, 2003.
  4. ↑ Breuer, T. & K. Holm-Müller: Assessment of the opportunities from the promotion of biofuels for the rural regions in North Rhine-Westphalia. Agricultural Faculty of the University of Bonn, series of publications of the teaching and research focus USL. No. 137. Bonn 2006, pp. 41-44.
  5. ↑ a b European Union press release: Cereals: Council approves zero set-aside rate for autumn 2007 and spring 2008 sowing , Reference: IP / 07/1402, September 26, 2007, online
  6. ↑ http://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/index.php?id=3520
  7. ↑ a b OECD: Growing bio-fuel demand underpinning higher agriculture prices, says joint OECD-FAO report , July 4, 2007; based on OECD-FAO: OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2007–2016 ( PDF; 779 kB )
  8. ↑ Communication from the Commission to all farmers regarding the abolition of the set-aside scheme from 2009 (PDF)
  9. ↑ GAP health check helps farmers cope with new challenges. EU press release of November 20, 2008
  10. ↑ Cultivation 2008: Set-aside areas halved - increase in grain , report on innovations-report.de , August 1, 2008, accessed on January 18, 2010
  11. ^ Habitat fallow, online
  12. ↑ Information from the Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) "Significance of set-aside for biological diversity - facts and suggestions for creating ecological priority areas within the framework of EU agricultural policy" (PDF; 2.1 MB), January 2008
  13. ↑ Top meeting of the European nature conservation authorities in Wales , report on innovations-report.de , March 5, 2008, accessed on January 18, 2010