“RBAPS in Navarra (Spain):

scoring and payment procedure in

agro-Mediterranean systems”
http://rbaps.eu/

Carlos Astrain Massa (castraim@gan-nik.es), Uxue Iragui Yoldi (uiraguiy@gan-nik.es),

Asun Berastegi Gartziandia, Fabiola López Rodríguez, David Campion Ventura, Merche Rodrigo Solanas
“International workshop on High Nature Value Farmlands (HNFS)”. Cyprus, 1-3 March 2017
CONTENT

1. Background
2. RBAPS project in Navarra (Spain)
3. Scoring sheet and payment
4. Monitoring
5. Reflections

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1. BACKGROUND

• With the aim of monitoring the Rural

Development Programme of Navarra 2007-
Europe
2013…

• In 2010 the identification of High Nature

Value (HNV) Farming Systems in Navarra
was done
http://www.navarra.es/NR/rdonlyres/8F2D0367-
55B2-4D41-BA20-
9FC03245AA19/187446/SAVNNavarra.pdf Navarra (Spain):
HNV farming systems
• In 2016 the monitoring of HNV during the
period 2008-2013 was done
http://www.navarra.es/NR/rdonlyres/86815038-
FE6D-404A-9A29-
3C27FCCBF013/371833/SistemasdeAltoValorNaturale
nNavarra2013.pdf
and
http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/sites/enrd/files/gpw_2_hnv
_report.pdf
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1. BACKGROUND

• In 2012, socio-ecological system (SES)

study in the HNV of the Cantabric mountains
farming system

• Results at a plot and farm level

http://www.navarra.es/NR/rdonlyres/8F2D0367-
55B2-4D41-BA20-
9FC03245AA19/251315/Sistemaganaderodealtovalorn
aturalenlazonacantabric.pdf
and
http://www.pastoscantabria2014.es/textos/comunica
ciones/srs1.pdf
and
http://www.pastoscantabria2014.es/textos/comunica
ciones/srs2.pdf

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1. BACKGROUND

• In 2015, SES study in the HNV of the

Mediterranean uplands farming system,
with identification of elements of interest

•In 2016 results at a plot and farm level

http://www.navarra.es/NR/rdonlyres/86815038-
FE6D-404A-9A29-
3C27FCCBF013/371834/SistemadeAltovalorNaturalCul
tivosmediterraneosenla.pdf

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2. RBAPS PROJECT IN NAVARRA (SPAIN)

• In 2015, RBAPS about the HNV farming

systems in the Mediterranean uplands

• RBAPS = Results Based Agri-environmental

Payment Schemes

• RBAPS is payment scheme where the amount of money paid to the

farmer reflects the wildlife (biodiversity) that is delivered on their
farmed land

• RBAPS partners from Ireland and Spain (mostly Ireland):

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2. RBAPS PROJECT IN NAVARRA (SPAIN)

• RBAPS and AgroLIFE, parallel projects in

Navarra (Spain) and Cyprus:
• Similar HNV agro-system
(probably similar strengths and threats)
• Similar objective
• Similar timing (2014-2017 aprox.)
• Different payment approach

AgroLIFE Cyprus RBAPS Navarra

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2. RBAPS PROJECT IN NAVARRA (SPAIN)

• RBAPS period: 2015 – ½ 2018 (3,5 years)

• Budget for farmers’ payments: 40.000 €/year

(2 field campaigns)

• Participating farmers: 21

• Number of plots: 115

• Hectares: 61,44 ha

• Types of crops: perennial non-irrigated crops

• Vineyards: 11,33 ha
• Olive groves: 21,51 ha
• Almond trees: 28,60 ha

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2. RBAPS PROJECT IN NAVARRA (SPAIN)

• Elements of interest that make the area of study of HNV:

• Mosaic landscape
• Perennial crops
• Herbaceous cover in perennial crops
• Edges and patches of natural vegetation
• Isolated trees
• Ponds (very scarce in the area)
• Stone walls
• Huts
• Other human elements

Agri-environmental measure
aimed at preserving the elements of interest
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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• RBAPS payment:
• Scoring of a plot: from 0 to 100 points
• Payment related to the points obtained
• From 0 to 600 €/ha

Plot score 0-9 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89 90-100

€/ha/year 0€ 120€ 180€ 240€ 300€ 360€ 420€ 480€ 540€ 600€

Close to 0 points or 0 €/ha Close to 100 points or 600 €/ha

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet:
• Part A. Herbaceous cover  Max. 70 points
• Part B. Structures of interest  Max. 30 points
• Total score = A + B  Max. 100 points

A. Herbaceous cover (max. 70 points) Min. Max.

1. Richness of species 0 20
2. Herbaceous cover between 1 May - 15 July 0 20
3. Herbaceous cover the rest of the year 0 20
4. Presence of grazing in the plot -10 10
5. Bush encroachment -20 0
6. Damaging activities -20 0

B. Structures of interest (max. 30 points) Min. Max.

1. Natural elements 0 30
2. Human made elements 0 30

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 1:

A.1. RICHNESS OF SPECIES

• Number of groups of plants in a plot
• A sheet of groups of plants was made,
so that anybody, including farmers,
can identify plants (not only botanists)
• Training day needed

Groups of plants <5 5 - 15 > 15 > 15 herbaceous, AND

herbaceous herbaceous woody perennial

Score 0 10 15 20

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 1: RICHNESS OF SPECIES

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 2:

A.2. HERBACEOUS COVER BETWEEN 1 MAY - 15 JULY

• 1 May - 15 July = Critical period for flora and fauna
• Area of the plot occupied by “suitable” herbaceous cover
• “Suitable” cover, > 20 cm height
• Plots under cross-compliance (slope > 15%), only half of
the points

NO HERBACEOUS All of the field,

COVER Half of the field except under the All of the field
crops (lines or trees)
Score Not eligible 10 15 20
for Payment
If cross Not eligible 0 7,5 10
compliance for Payment

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 2: HERBACEOUS COVER 1 MAY - 15 JULY

0 points 10 points
(20, but under cross-compliance)

15 points 20 points

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 3:

B.2. DRY-STONE WALLS

• Taken into account: height, length, conservation status
• A lot of field visits to calibrate the classification criteria

Height Lenght Conservation Classification

status
Optimal High
> 10 m
Sub-optimal Medium
> 0,75 m
Optimal Medium
< 10 m
Sub-optimal Low
Optimal Low
>5m
Sub-optimal Low
< 0,75 m
Optimal None
<5m
Sub-optimal None

None Low Medium High

Dry-stone walls 0 5 10 20

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• Scoring sheet EXAMPLE 4:

B.2. DRY-STONE HUTS

• Taken into account: conservation status
• The classification criteria is descriptive, not numeric

Conservation status Classification

Optimal High None Low Medium High
Sub-optimal Medium  Dry-stone huts 0 5 10 20
Bad Low

5 points 10 points 15 points

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3. SCORING SHEET AND PAYMENT

• 2016 scores and payments:

• Average score: 64 points per plot

• Total payment: 25.514,40 €
• There was a budget of 40.000 € for 2016
• Average of 1.215 € per farmer

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4. MONITORING

• Preliminary results in monitoring show that the scoring sheet is robust:

the higher the score, the more biodiversity

• Good monitoring indicators:

• Flora (4 m2 quadrants)
• Butterflies (transects in the perimeter)
• Grasshoppers (transects in the perimeter)

• Some fauna indicators not appropriate

(birds, terrestrial insects, reptiles)

Abundance
Abundance

RBAPS score RBAPS score

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5. REFLECTIONS

• Some reflections about RBAPS:

• The farmer has a voluntary compromise in his/her management,

the better it is, the higher the payment
• Self-evaluation of the farmer reduces the costs and simplifies
document processing
• + BIODIVERSITY  + POINTS  + PAYMENT

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Σας ευχαριστώ πολύ! Thank you! ¡Gracias!