Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The aim of this study was to understand the perceptions held by the Swedish stakeholders on the greening measures established in the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform 2014-2020. The study used the concepts of constructivism; ‘what’s the problem represented to be’, policy analysis tool as a framework; and finally viewed the greening measures and the related components of the reform from a broader perspective of agriculture sustainability discussed by Stuart Hill. A total of eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders from across the board. Most of the stakeholders were at some capacity involved in the CAP reform negotiations or formulation at European Union (EU) and Member State level. During the analysis it was relevant to divide the stakeholders into ‘production oriented’ stakeholders: Jordbruksverket, LRF, Hushållningssällskapet, Greppa Näringen and ‘environment oriented’ stakeholders: SSNC, WWF Sweden and Ekologiska Lantbrukarna. One of the drivers for this reform was the ‘problem’ of biodiversity loss witnessed in farmland of EU whereas socio-economic challenges were a priority for Swedish Agriculture stakeholders. In order, to address the problem of biodiversity loss, the European Commission, developed the concept of broad based, mandatory greening measures to be implemented all across the EU.
The study concluded that the ‘production oriented stakeholders’ of Sweden believed that the greening measures would have a marginal impact on the current environment of the Swedish Agriculture. There was a sense of acceptance that enough is being done in Sweden in terms of environmental action in agriculture in comparison to other countries of EU and were therefore, indifferent and critical towards the objectives and complex implementation process of the greening measures respectively. On the other hand, the ‘environment oriented stakeholders’ of Sweden were very critical of the greening measures such as Ecological Focus Areas (EFA). Lack of clear objectives of certain greening measures; different geographical context of Sweden and need for context specific environmental measures; and the complicated implementation process of greening measures; were the reasons for this perception. From agricultural sustainability perspective defined by Stuart Hill, the study identified that certain elements of ‘shallow sustainability’ were adopted in the reform. It had an intent of moving towards further sustainability for instance, by bringing in crop diversification and EFA and attempting at ‘re-designing the agroecosystem’. However, it did not move towards further sustainability and stood somewhere in between ‘unsustainable practices’ and ‘shallow sustainability’ due to the greater influence of ‘production oriented’ values at EU level. Therefore, the importance towards ‘production oriented’ values held by the ‘production oriented’ stakeholders of Sweden - which were similar to the values held by the major EU level stakeholders during the policymaking process leading to dilution of the reform; in comparison to the ‘environment oriented’ values held by the ‘environment oriented’ stakeholders of Sweden affected how the CAP reform 2014-2020 was perceived in Sweden.