. / This study is about the on-ground implementation of sustainable farm practices supported by policies and directives that form the core of the European Union’s sustainability policy. Its goal is to identify the blockers to effective policy implementation in order to improve the approach to sustainability in the agricultural sector. Exploring ways to engage local stakeholders in farm sustainability has been central to create a holistic understanding about the processes that drive practices in agriculture systems, and the extent to which these processes can be transformed. Sustainability in agriculture is a broad topic, hence this study focuses on one segment of sustainability namely the use and management of water resources in irrigated agriculture. The study’s final recommendations to improve policy design and interventions, however, are general and apply to the implementation of all sustainable farm practices. Practical effectiveness of EU policies and directives for sustainable agriculture is constrained by: a lack of evaluating criteria to measure policy impact and communicate progress; incentives for growers to commit to more than the minimum required, and continuous local renegotiation of proposed measures and programmes which have contributed to a weakening of initial policy proposals. This study demonstrates that policies serve different purposes for different people at different social and political levels. However, sustainability comes into practice on the farm, which is why farmers’ perspective about a sustainable agricultural sector and the proposed voluntary and mandatory policy measures is so important. Farmers’ perspectives are still missing elements in policy design for sustainable agriculture. Co-developing and testing technologies that are meant to deliver sustainability in practice, as well as farm decision support tools, are critical in engaging farmers and other local stakeholders in sustainability and to transform embedded practices and institutions. Collaboration across disciplines is also important to address environmental goals and farmers’ needs in order to extract substantial environmental benefits as well as a long term commitment from land managers in sustainability. This study shows that there are many insights to be gained and learnings to be extracted from scrutinizing policy interventions. It raises awareness about improving policy implementation by providing practical examples from case studies conducted in Spain and in Italy. These insights encourage the use of interdisciplinary approaches, including socio-technical approaches, for an integrated people and technology based perspective on natural resource management to better policy design and interventions and make sustainable agriculture real.

Tyrimo objektas – agrarinė aplinkosauga rezultatyvumo požiūriu. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti priemonės „Agrarinės aplinkosaugos išmokos“ programų įgyvendinimo rezultatyvumą. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1) identifikuoti agrarinės aplinkosaugos būtinumo priežastis ir vietą ES Bendrojoje žemės ūkio politikoje; 2) išnagrinėti ir susisteminti mokslinius tyrimus apie agrarinės aplinkosaugos priemonių rezultatyvumo vertinimą; 3) išnagrinėti priemonės „Agrarinės aplinkosaugos išmokos“ įgyvendinimo mastą ir dinamiką Lietuvoje; 4) įvertinti agrarinės aplinkosaugos rezultatyvumą Lietuvoje. Tyrimo metodai: Teorinėje darbo dalyje naudojama Lietuvos bei užsienio autorių mokslinės literatūros lyginamoji, sisteminė ir loginė analizė bei sintezė, apibendrinimas, grafinis vaizdavimas. Analitinėje dalyje, vertinant agrarinės aplinkosaugos įgyvendinimo mastą, dinamiką bei rezultatyvumą Lietuvoje, naudoti statistinės informacijos rinkimo, sisteminimo ir apdorojimo (duomenų analizė, grupavimas, grafinis vaizdavimas bei apibendrinimas) metodai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • Pirmojoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėta agrarinės aplinkosaugos samprata, būtinumas, agrarinės aplinkosaugos politikos raida ir jos rezultatyvumo vertinimo tyrimai. • Antrojoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėti priemonės „Agrarinės aplinkosaugos išmokos“ programų įgyvendinimo mastas ir dinamika Lietuvoje. • Trečiojoje darbo dalyje, remiantis ES paramos programų rezultatyvumo ir poveikio vertinimo modeliu, įvertintas priemonės „Agrarinės aplinkosaugos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research Object – Agri-environment in point of effectiveness. Research Aim – Assessment of the effectiveness of “Agri-environment Payments” programmes. Objectives of the Research: 1. to identify key reasons of necessity of agri-environment and its position within the General Agricultural Policy of the EU; 2. to define theoretical aspects of the implementation of agri-environment measures; 3. to analyze scope of implementation of “Agri-environment Payments” and its trends in Lithuania; 4. to define the effectiveness of “Agri-environment Payments”. Research Methods: analysis of scientific literature and documents, qualitative assessment, method of logical analysis and modelling, synthesis, comparison, induction, deduction, graphic representation. Results of the Research: • The first part of the Thesis provides analysis of agri-environment concept, application of policies and appraisal of effectiveness. • The second part of the Thesis provides analysis of the scope of implementation of “Agri-environment Payments”, programmes in Lithuania. • The third part of the Thesis provides assessment of the effectiveness of programmes (“Organic Farming Scheme”, “Environmentally friendly fruits and vegetables' cultivation system”, “Programme for improving the status of water bodies at risk”, “Landscape Stewardship Scheme”, „Preservation of Lithuanian endangered species of animals and poultry“) in terms of the model established for the assessment of the EU support programme effectiveness... [to full text]

Landwirt:innen prägen Agrarlandschaften und beeinflussen die Biodiversität maßgeblich. Ein tiefgehendes Verständnis ihrer Entscheidungen zu biodiversitätsfreundlichen Maßnahmen (BFFM) ist essenziell für wirksame Biodiversitätsstrategien. Diese sollen nicht nur Anreize schaffen, sondern auch Maßnahmen auf Landschaftsebene koordinieren. Ziel dieser Dissertation ist es, die Faktoren des Biodiversitätsmanagements europäischer Landwirt:innen zu untersuchen, insbesondere ihre Verhaltensweisen, Wahrnehmungen und räumlichen Entscheidungsprozesse. Die Arbeit umfasst drei aufeinander aufbauende Studien: (i) eine systematische Literaturanalyse zu Motiven und Hindernissen für BFFM, (ii) qualitative Interviews zur Wahrnehmung von Biodiversität und deren Schutz sowie (iii) ein räumliches Entscheidungsexperiment zu Präferenzen für die Platzierung linearer Biodiversitätsmaßnahmen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass betriebliche Entscheidungen durch ein komplexes Zusammenspiel verschiedener Faktoren beeinflusst werden. Über wirtschaftliche und praktische Gesichtspunkte hinaus sind diese Entscheidungen tief in Wertvorstellungen und der Wahrnehmung von Biodiversität verwurzelt. Wenngleich die meisten Befragten ihre landwirtschaftlichen Tätigkeiten möglichst wenig beeinträchtigen wollten, erkannten sie die ökologische Relevanz ihrer Arbeit und waren offen für Anpassungen, sofern sich Möglichkeiten zur Vernetzung bestehender Habitate ergaben. Die erheblichen regionalen Unterschiede verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit, Biodiversitätsstrategien an spezifische sozioökonomische, kulturelle und ökologische Kontexte anzupassen. Die Berücksichtigung intrinsischer Werte und der kulturellen Verbundenheit mit dem Land kann die Akzeptanz und das Engagement fördern. Zudem kann eine gezielte Abschätzung der Bereitschaft zur Habitatvernetzung die Planung ökologischer Netzwerke optimieren und Transaktionskosten senken, indem Wildtierkorridore mit Präferenzen der Landwirt:innen abgestimmt werden. / Farmers are key actors in agricultural landscapes and have a profound impact on biodiversity. Understanding their decisions to adopt biodiversity-friendly farming measures (BFFM) is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies that not only motivate farmers but also coordinate their efforts to achieve greater biodiversity outcomes at the landscape scale. This dissertation aims to explore the factors that influence farmers’ biodiversity management across Europe, integrating behavioural, perceptual, and spatial dimensions of their decision-making processes. Three interrelated studies were conducted: (i) a systematic literature review synthesising evidence on motivations for and barriers to BFFM adoption, (ii) qualitative interviews exploring farmers’ perceptions of biodiversity and its management, and (iii) a spatial choice experiment investigating preferences for the placement of linear biodiversity measures. The studies show that farmers’ biodiversity management decisions are shaped by a complex interplay of factors. Beyond economic and practical concerns, these decisions are deeply rooted in farmers’ values and perceptions of biodiversity. Although most farmers sought to minimise disturbance to their farming activities, they recognised the ecological significance of their practices at the landscape level and were willing to adapt them where opportunities arose to connect habitats. The considerable regional variability indicates that biodiversity conservation strategies need to be tailored to the specific socio-economic, cultural, and environmental contexts. Conservation measures that resonate with farmers’ intrinsic values and cultural connections to the land may increase adoption and commitment. In view of the habitat fragmentation, predicting farmers’ willingness to participate in connectivity measures can inform efficient ecological network planning and reduce transaction costs by aligning potential corridors with their preferences.