Members of the Pearl Mussel Project attended the RBAPS (Results Based Agri-environmental Payment Schemes) project seminar in the Hudson Bay Hotel, Athlone, to publicise our project and make contacts with other groups running similar programmes who have gained valuable experiences, from which the Pearl Mussel Project could benefit from. The results of the presentations convinced everyone of the value of the results based approach than ever, whereby the better the environmental result (or product), the higher the payment to farmer. Super advice provided by RBAPS Co. Leitrim, Hen Harrier Project, AranLIFE in their presentations, on designing and implementing results based agri-environmental programmes. Now time to develop the Pearl Mussel Project results based programme to help improve environmental conditions for our freshwater pearl mussel!!
About RBAPS:
Results-based programmes are a farmer-centered approach to farming and conservation, which sees farmers paid for both work undertaken and, most importantly, for the quality of delivery of the environmental results.
Over the course of 3.5 years, the Results-based Agri-environmental Payment Scheme (RBAPS) project trialled a mode of paying farmers for the quality of biodiversity on their farms in three differing pilot locations of County Leitrim and the Shannon Callow floodplain in Ireland, and the Navarra region of Spain.
This seminar presents the experiences of the RBAPS and other projects, including the AranLife project and the Hen Harrier and BRIDE EIPs, and will explore how payments for the quality of farmland biodiversity can work in reality.
This event is aimed at anyone interested in the future of agri-environment programmes, particularly farmers, farming authorities, farm advisors, administrators and those interested in European Innovation Partnerships, particularly those with a biodiversity focus.
https://rbaps.eu
