What is High Nature Value Farming?

In their starting paper, the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on High Nature Value (HNV) farming profitability defined HNV farming as ‘a relatively new concept that has developed since the early 1990s to describe those farming systems in Europe which are of greatest biodiversity value’. The concept is currently being developed by the Horizon 2020 project ‘HNV LINK’ whose objective is to support HNV farming systems and communities by simultaneously improving their “socio-economic viability” and “environmental efficiency”. More information about ‘HNV link’ is available on the EFNCP website.

European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP), a partner of the project HNV LINK, has run several initiatives to promote the concept of HNV farming. Last year, they collaborated with QueRed, the Spanish Network of Farmhouse and Artisan Cheese Makers. The collaboration led to the improvement of the design and application of legal regulations for small agro alimentary businesses in Spain. More information on the collaboration with QueRed is available on the EFNCP website.

The concept of HNV farming is interesting to look at for the actors involved in the development of mountain product value chains and especially of short chains.

Edit 9.02.2016 –the EIP-AGRI Focus Group just published its conclusions.