Terra Lemnia Standard of Practices
By Mediterranean Institute For Nature and Anthropos (MedINA)
The Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Anthropos (MedINA), in cooperation with scientists from the Agricultural University of Athens, the University of the Aegean, the University of Patras, and the University of Göttingen (Germany), developed the following Guide and Standard of Good Practices in the framework of the Terra Lemnia project. The Guide of Good Practices is based on the traditional practices used by farmers of Lemnos, which have shaped the island’s landscape and biodiversity, capitalizing on the results of extensive field research carried out by the Terra Lemnia team since 2017.
According to the scientific data collected by the team, the implementation of these practices benefits biodiversity, soil and landscape, while improving the quality of local products, presenting potential for increased income for farmers. The Guide of Good Practices is designed to be used as the basis for operation of the ‘Land Stewards Network’, a voluntary network of practitioners, and to create an environmental / landscape label.
The condition for joining the network is to implement all practices characterized as ‘mandatory criteria’ (M) and collect at least 30 points by applying some of the practices characterized as ‘optional criteria’ (O). The Practices are divided into five categories, as illustrated in the following Standard, namely:
A. Crop management
B. Input reduction and sustainable use of natural resources
C. Livestock management and grazing
D. Management of natural and semi-natural elements
E. Maintenance of traditional pens (mandras) and other traditional farming structure
Network operation will be supervised by a responsible agronomist. A dedicated precision farming system, consisting of a Geodatabase and Smartphone App, will be developed to allow recording of farm inputs and outputs and monitoring of practice implementation. Network members, assisted by the responsible agronomist, will be responsible to keep record of practice implementation using the precision farming tools of the system. Details for the application of the Standard are provided in this Guide.
This ‘Good Practices Guide’ has been created to respond to the needs and realities of Lemnos Island. However, thanks to its multiplier effect, it can also be applied to other North Aegean islands, as well as to parts of mainland Greece. Further to being used for the needs of the Land Stewards Network in Lemnos, it is also intended to inform the policy dialogue for establishment of locally adapted agri-environmental measures by the competent authorities in the new Programmatic Period of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2020.