High nature value mountain farming systems in Europe: Case studies from the Atlantic Pyrenees, France and the Kerry Uplands, Ireland

The term high nature value (HNV) farming, acknowledges that the conservation of a large proportion of European biodiversity and important semi-natural habitats are dependent on low-input, mainly extensive farming practices. HNV has become a focus for nature conservation and countryside management in Europe. This paper critically analyses the drivers of change and the challenges facing two European HNV upland pastoralist systems, one in the French Atlantic Pyrenees and the other in the Irish uplands. The detailed case studies highlight the traditional linkages between the landscape, grazing management, locally adapted animal breeds and social capital, all of which are currently under threat from globalised markets and policy orientation. The research findings indicate that the European multifunctional model of agriculture and its support for farm diversification including the provision of environmental goods and services has not been successful in targeting and rewarding HNV systems. In the search for economic viability (and social acceptance) many are left with the stark choice of intensification or abandonment; ultimately meeting neither market demands nor ecosystem services. We conclude with a recommendation for more targeted, evidence based support for HNV farmland, along with better integration in the wider rural economy, if these farming practices are to survive into the future and if the EU is to meet its 2020 biodiversity targets.