Good exchange in Thuringia: Farmers pass on suggestions to state authorities

April 9, 2024 - Shortly before Easter, on March 27, 2024, representatives from agriculture, administration and nature conservation met for the second Thuringian state meeting of the CAP4GI project. The Natura 2000 station Unstrut-Hainich/Eichsfeld had invited guests to Hütscheroda, on the edge of the Hainich National Park.

The suggestions and solutions for improving agri-environmental measures collected in the previous meetings could now be passed on to employees from the Thuringian Ministries of Agriculture (TMIL) and Environment (TMUEN) as well as affiliated authorities (TLLLR, TLUBN).

This provided an opportunity to discuss the proposals and check their feasibility. The focus was on the farmers' suggestions for reducing barriers to the implementation of environmental measures. These included advisory services and information from the administration, making requirements more flexible, and appropriate remuneration for the measures. Controversial topics, such as the challenges posed by controls and sanctions, were not left off the agenda. In addition, the meeting was used to further develop the Discrete Choice Experiment of the University of Rostock.

After the growing season, the next regional meetings with farmers in Thuringia will follow in the fall. The last state-wide exchange as part of the project will then take place in winter/spring 2025.