Initiating Transition to Agro-ecological Farming Systems in Market-Oriented Arable Farming with Soil Conservation Practices: A Case Study in Hungary

Biophysical conditions for crop production in Hungary are generally considered to be good. However, extreme weather events, water shortage during the growing season, climate adaptation and, in particular, deterioration of soils pose increasing environmental challenges to farmers. The deterioration of soils is an outstanding environmental challenge in Hungary; therefore adopting soil conservation farming practices is considered as a first step for market-oriented arable farming systems towards transition to agro-ecological farming systems. We mapped stakeholders and assessed the context of information, material and knowledge flows, as well as the practice and policy aspects of soil conservation farming. As a result of the multi-actor platform stakeholder engagements, steps have been taken to collect views on the barriers and needs for change to promote the transition of soil conservation farming practices. Innovative policy design changes to existing rural development measures have the potential to successfully promote transitions to soil conservation farming if accompanied by measures of research and advisory development, raising public awareness and demand for crops produced this way. Environmental and climatic expectations are likely to increase in the next cycle of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy; hence, the topic of soil conservation farming is justified to be a priority and requires getting prepared for the development of appropriate interventions in the national CAP Strategic Plan.