Abstract
In May 2022 the Horizon 2020 funded project Contracts2.0 organised a 2-day workshop ‘Upland Innovations in Payments by Results: Lessons for Upscaling from the Irish Context’. The meeting in Galway, Ireland brought together delegates from two Contract Innovation Labs (CILs). Established by
Contracts2.0, CILs focus on development of novel contractual approaches to provide the right incentives to farmers and land managers to produce environmental public goods. The UK and Belgian CILs joined hosts from Irish results-based agri-environment scheme (AES) projects, notably Wild Atlantic Nature, the Hen Harrier Project and Burren Programme, plus expert advisers
from the Atlantic Technological University. This inter-CIL exchange aimed to promote knowledge
sharing around this novel contract type, learning in particular from the practical experiences of
developing and delivering results-based AES within upland landscape. Delegates comprised farmers,
land-managers, local land organisation advisers, facilitators, researchers, and policy makers. The
contents of this report represent the ideas and discussions of participants, with the level of
interpretation by the authors kept to a minimum.
The Irish have world-leading experience of delivering results-based contracts, starting with the Burren
Programme in the early 2000s through to the current suite of locally adapted results-based projects
that operate in defined areas, a national Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) and
the in-development Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) within Ireland’s CAP Strategic
Plan 2023 - 2027.
On Day 1 participants visited an upland area in West Ireland where the Wild Atlantic Nature Project
seeks to add value to the ecosystem services delivered by land managers through providing a resultsbased payment linked to habitat quality on peatlands, grassland and woodland.
The second day was spent in workshops exploring: 1) Impressions/experiences from the field visit, 2)
Contact design, scorecards and monitoring, 3) Policy potential, and 4) Legal & payment framework.
Contracts2.0, CILs focus on development of novel contractual approaches to provide the right incentives to farmers and land managers to produce environmental public goods. The UK and Belgian CILs joined hosts from Irish results-based agri-environment scheme (AES) projects, notably Wild Atlantic Nature, the Hen Harrier Project and Burren Programme, plus expert advisers
from the Atlantic Technological University. This inter-CIL exchange aimed to promote knowledge
sharing around this novel contract type, learning in particular from the practical experiences of
developing and delivering results-based AES within upland landscape. Delegates comprised farmers,
land-managers, local land organisation advisers, facilitators, researchers, and policy makers. The
contents of this report represent the ideas and discussions of participants, with the level of
interpretation by the authors kept to a minimum.
The Irish have world-leading experience of delivering results-based contracts, starting with the Burren
Programme in the early 2000s through to the current suite of locally adapted results-based projects
that operate in defined areas, a national Results Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) and
the in-development Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) within Ireland’s CAP Strategic
Plan 2023 - 2027.
On Day 1 participants visited an upland area in West Ireland where the Wild Atlantic Nature Project
seeks to add value to the ecosystem services delivered by land managers through providing a resultsbased payment linked to habitat quality on peatlands, grassland and woodland.
The second day was spent in workshops exploring: 1) Impressions/experiences from the field visit, 2)
Contact design, scorecards and monitoring, 3) Policy potential, and 4) Legal & payment framework.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | contracts2.0 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2022 |
