Slayt 1

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Policy approaches of Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Livestock to pasture management
in the context of climate change
Enver AKSOY, MSc Head of Strategy
Development Board of MoFAL
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CONTENT

• INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
• GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF MEADOW AND PASTURE
  MANAGEMENT
• POLICY APPROACHES IN THE PLANNING DOCUMENTS
• CONCLUSION

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INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

• Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock
  (MoFAL) is the most important institutional body
  making and implementing policy regarding
  livestock management, pasture management and
  pasture rehabilitation.
• In this study, it is aimed to reflect the policy
  approaches of the MoFAL on pasture management and
  climate change by analyzing the planning
  documents.

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FRAMEWORK OF PASTURE MANAGEMENT

• Turkish livestock production is a predominantly
  small-scale activity, implementing traditional
  livestock production system with very low
  productivity which is found in up to 90 of
  farms.
• Turkish livestock farming is extensive.
• Due to insufficient and costly domestic fodder
  production, farm animals nutrient needs are
  mainly covered by grazing and so pressures on
  pastures.
• Erosion is a major problem in the Country due to
  a combination of topographic, climatic,
  geological and soil conditions.
• Unsuitably applied agricultural methods,
  destruction of forest and pasture areas and
  mismanagement of pasture lands by overgrazing
  have been contributing to the erosion problem.

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FRAMEWORK OF MEADOW AND PASTURE MANAGEMENT
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POLICY APPROACHES-1
1. Ninth Development Plan (2007-2013) and Annual
Programme 2012

• The Ninth Development Plan has been setting the
  national framework for social and economic
  development of the country including the
  priorities and targets for all sectors in the
  long term.
• The annual programmes and the annual investment
  programmes are the main means for the
  implementation of the development plan.
• One of the priorities in the Annual Programme is
  stated as to change the Law on Pastures No 4342.
• The management of pastures which was under the
  control of the government has been changed
  recently and the regulations to enable to rent
  the pastures by the private sector have been put
  into effect.

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POLICY APPROACHES
2. Rural Development Plan (2010-2013)

• RDP sets the priorities and policy framework for
  rural development in national basis.
• RDP includes four strategic objectives for
  development of rural areas one of which is
  Protection and Improvement of Rural Environment
  settled as Strategic Objective 4.
• Activities are
• preparation of grazing plans,
• raising awareness of farmers on planned grazing,
  
• natural terracing, afforestation to provide
  resting places for animals,
• weed control,
• supports to farmers for protection of pastures.

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POLICY APPROACHES
3. IPARD Programme (2007-2013)

• Programme has been prepared to use the funds of
  European Union (EU) allocated under the fifth
  component of Instrument for Pre-accession
  Assistance (IPA).
• Programme has been elaborated by the MoFAL in
  close cooperation with public institutions and
  involving the opinions of all relevant
  stakeholders local authorities, social, economic
  and environmental partners, centres of knowledge,
  NGOs and universities.
• Programme targets three problems related with
  agricultural activities and the use of land which
  are soil erosion, pressure on water resources and
  biodiversity.The measures under soil erosion are
  
• Conversion of arable land to permanent extensive
  pasture
• Reduction of grazing period on eroded pastures
• Management of soil cover and enhancement of
  rotation on arable land

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POLICY APPROACHES
4. Strategic Plan (2010-2014) and Performance
Programmes

• The Plan determines five main strategic areas
  for the activities of the MoFAL which are
  agricultural production and security of supply,
  food safety, plant and livestock health, rural
  development and institutional capacity.
• Six main priorities are identified. The second
  one is related to pastures and climate change
• 2-Development of agricultural infrastructure,
  protection and sustainable use of environment and
  natural resources, taking of measures to decrease
  the negative effects of natural disasters,

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POLICY APPROACHES
4. Strategic Plan (2010-2014) and Performance
Programmes

• The actions include under the Prioritiy regarding
  pastures and climate change are
• 1) the protection and sustainable use of
  agricultural land,
• 2) development and extension of
  agri-environmental implementations,
• 3) improvement and sustainable use of pastures,
• 4) establishment of early warning system
• 5) implementation of agricultural insurance
• 6) providing of the losses of farmers due to
  natural disasters.

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POLICY APPROACHES
4. Strategic Plan (2010-2014) and Performance
Programmes

• The measure protection and sustainable use of
  agricultural land includes the following
  activities
• Land evaluation studies based on land and soil
  analysis,
• Preparation of land use plans,
• Consolidation of land parcels and on-farm
  services.
• The measure development and extension of
  agri-environmental implementations includes the
  following activities
• Studies on land classification and modelling,
• Nitrate monitoring programmes for surface and
  ground water,
• Soil analysis,
• Agri-environmental implementations which are
  applied under a project called Environmentally
  Based Agricultural Land Protection Project.

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POLICY APPROACHES
4. Strategic Plan (2010-2014) and Performance
Programmes

• The measure improvement and sustainable use of
  pastures includes the following activities
• Formation of inventory for pastures,
• Preparation of maps and identification of
  borders, raising awareness,
• Rehabilitation of pastures, erosion control.

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POLICY APPROACHES
4. Strategic Plan (2010-2014) and Performance
Programmes

• The measure regarding establishment of early
  warning system includes the monitoring of risks
  like drought and flood which are caused by the
  climate change and establishment of an early
  warning system.
• The measure implementation of agricultural
  insurance includes the support payments
  accounting 50 of the bills of farmers making
  agricultural insurance.
• The measure regarding providing of the losses of
  farmers due to natural disasters includes the
  payments made to farmers who suffer from the
  natural disasters to sustain their farming
  activity.

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The needed resources identified in Performance
Programmes 2011 and 2012
Measure Budget for 2011 (Million TL) in total Budget for 2012 (Million TL) in total
Protection of agricultural land (Measure No 9) 0.2 0.002 321.5 3.06
Agri-environmental implementations (Measure No 13) 20.3 0.24 11.5 0.11
Improvement and sustainable use of pastures (Measure No 14) 21.9 0.26 23.6 0.22
Early warning system (Measure No 17) 0.14 0.016 50.5 0.48
Agricultural insurance (Measure No 18) 99.4 1.17 263.6 2.51
Natural Disasters (Measure No 19) 10.6 0.12 11.3 0.11
Total 152.5 1.8 682 6.5
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CONCLUSION

• Policy framework in existing policy documents
  refers mainly the structural problems of
  agriculture in the Country and targets generally
  the productivity, food quality and safety,
  modernisation of agriculture and food sector and
  integration to markets.
• Environment related priorities are particularly
  found in every policy document in which pasture
  management is emphasised however the climate
  change policy implications have remained weak.
• Irregular grazing (heavy, early, uncontrolled
  etc.) especially on the hillsides is specifically
  stressed in all policy documents since the
  extensive livestock farming is the major reason
  of degradation of the pastures in the Country.

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CONCLUSION

• Strategic Plan and Performance Programmes are the
  most comprehensive and detailed policy documents
  regarding the pastures and climate change.
• Measures for decreasing the impacts of climate
  change. The needed resources for the
  interventions have been also identified.
• Establishment of early warning system and
  supports for natural disasters and implementation
  of agricultural insurance are policy
  interventions for adaptation purposes.

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CONCLUSION

• Resources in Performance Programme 2012 account
  for 6.5 of total budget showing significant
  increase of importance to pastures and climate
  change when compared with the Performance
  Programme 2011 (1.8).
• Activities are clearly identified with
  measurable indicators.
• Strategic Plan 2013-2017 and Performance
  Programme 2013 has been prepared.

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THANK YOU enver.aksoy_at_tarim.gov.tr