Aims and objectives of the project:

Pilot project M16.2 »Species-rich meadows« aims on:

• testing and preparing the groundwork to improve the practice of establishing and maintaining species-rich meadows on agricultural holdings,
• emphasizing the importance of meadows for supporting biodiversity conservation, ecosystem functions and services,
• developing and testing guidelines for sustainable management of meadows that will be scientifically and practically effective and will also address farmers' motivation to implement these measures,
• designing management models for species-rich meadows to test measures for their establishment and maintenance,
• contributing to improving practices in the field of managing species-rich meadows.
   

As part of the project we will:

• increase awareness and capacity-building of various stakeholder groups, including agricultural holdings, professionals and the wider public,
• promote the sustainable conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem functions,
• raise awareness of the benefits of species-rich meadows for improving pollination efficiency in agricultural environments,
• in the long term improve the productive capacity of farming enterprises,
• establish conditions for the development of new or improvement of existing activities, such as beekeeping,
• thereby increasing the supply of agricultural products and strengthening the sustainable development of farming.

Expected project results:

Within the project, we expect a range of important results that will contribute to sustainable farming and biodiversity conservation. On selected agricultural areas we will test and improve meadow management practices through practical trials.

Key expected results include:

• an increase in species diversity of plants and animals,
• improvement of conditions for pollinators, and thus greater quantity and quality of agricultural crops,
• reduction in the need for chemical fertilizers and plant protection products,
• development of guidelines for the long-term maintenance of species-rich meadows,
• transfer of knowledge and good-practice examples to other agricultural holdings.

Through the project, we will thus contribute to a healthier and more resilient agricultural environment, improve soil and habitat quality, and support the development of new activities.

Project co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (6. JR for sub-measure 16.2. Support for pilot projects and for the development of new products, practices, processes and technologies).

More information: European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Slovenia