Civil-public-private-partnerships (CP3), funded by Biodiversa/FACCE-JPI, is a three-year project of natural and social sciences which focused on collaborative governance approaches for policy innovation to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services delivery in agricultural landscapes. Collaborative governance builds upon partnerships of actors from the civil, public and private spheres of society and can work together with traditional command and control and market-based governance approaches.
Traditional funding for managing and protecting agricultural landscapes is often insufficient. Many biodiversity-rich areas, crucial for services like water retention and recreation, are under threat because their maintenance is no longer economically viable for farmers. This creates a finance gap for essential ecosystem services. The innovation from the CP3 project lies in using social entrepreneurship to create new, community-based funding streams for ecosystem services. This approach involves partnerships between local stakeholders, including local governments, businesses, and private citizens, to collectively manage and fund landscape conservation. A key example is the “Spreewald Meadows Share” initiative in Germany, where anyone can buy a ‘share’ to support the preservation of local meadows. This model directly addresses the finance gaps left by traditional governance and market-based approaches.
This innovative approach fosters a sense of shared responsibility for the landscape. By directly involving the public, it raises awareness and generates vital funds to maintain biodiversity-rich habitats that would otherwise be abandoned. The “Meadow Share” initiative, for instance, has successfully helped maintain valuable meadows. The model also strengthens community ties through collaborative events like bi-annual regional conferences, ensuring whole-community involvement in sustainable agriculture discussions.
There is an opportunity in Ireland to map current social entrepreneurship in agriculture and identify where similar bottom-up, innovative funding models could be applied. This aligns with developing the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS), which promotes collaboration between diverse stakeholders. By involving community organisations and multipliers, awareness and public involvement in protecting local ecosystems can be significantly increased for public good and wellbeing.
Farmers can explore opportunities for collaborative social entrepreneurship to create new income streams and gain support for managing their land sustainably. By partnering with local businesses, community groups, and tourism providers, farmers could develop initiatives that promote and fund the vital ecosystem services they provide.
To learn more about how to apply these ideas, find out more about this innovation by contacting Leo on leo@erinn.eu or visit the project website.
