Reducing the environmental impact of farming

 

This research focused on three case studies of efforts undertaken to reduce the environmental impacts of agriculture. These were the ‘green tides’ in Lannion’s Bay, Brittany, France (which were caused by poor agricultural practices pursued in an environmentally sensitive area), organic farming undertaken to improve potable water quality in Mangfall Valley, Germany and the implementation of Integrated Farming Standards by large fruit growers’ cooperatives in northern Greece. All three cases involve changes to farming practices, in response to problems caused by intensive agricultural production.
Since the 1970’s, the ‘green tides’ have been major problem in Lannion’s Bay (also called “Lieue de Grève”), located in the North of Brittany (France), at the extreme West of the Côtes d’Armor, with significant negative consequences for tourism and on the image of the region. Studying the evolution of the efforts made since the 1990s to stop this phenomenon is the objective of the first case study.
The second case studiedon the Mangfall Valley (Germany) is an organic farming support programme launched by the municipal utilities of Munich. Since 1880, the city has been sourcing their water from the catchment area of the Mangfall river, situated in the district of Miesbach located in the south of Upper Bavaria, 46 km south of Munich. A particularity of the region is that it hosts the largest continuous area under organic farming in Germany. The contract farmers are service-providers of a good potable water quality. 
The third case study investigates the implementation of Integrated Farming Standards by large fruit growers’ cooperatives in an area of northern Greece. The produce is marketed both for fresh consumption as well as for canning of fruit and fruit salads. The area is the regional department of Imathia, in the region of Central and East Macedonia, Northern Greece. The textile industry which used to be an important part of the area’s economy has declined, creating a significant unemployment problem.
 
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