2023-09-29 19:33:24
Every year, nearly 20,000 kilometers of hedges disappear, twice as many as in the previous decade. To try to put an end to this phenomenon, the government presented, Friday September 29, a “pact in favor of the hedge”. The objective is ambitious: it is a question of “winning”, by 2030, 50,000 kilometers of additional hedges. To achieve this, planting more will not be enough – between 3,000 kilometers and 5,000 kilometers are planted annually. Above all, we must stop tearing up or allowing the existing hedgerow to die, particularly due to lack of maintenance.
“That a Minister of Agriculture has the courage to say that we must stop destroying hedges and that they are important, it is historic and very positivereacts Philippe Hirou, the president of AFAC-Agroforesterie, a network bringing together 235 organizations. But much work remains to be done, and some elements are not yet satisfactory. »
In a joint press release, the League for the Protection of Birds, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), France Nature Environnement and Humanité et Biodiversité also welcome an ambitious pact, while raising several “sources of concern”. “The quantitative approach favored by the government seems to operate to the detriment of qualitative, estimate the four organizations. Beyond new plantations, it is essential to prioritize the protection and enhancement of existing hedges, which have the best ecological and agronomic functions. »
Also read the report: Article reserved for our subscribers In the countryside, the disappearance of hedges is accelerating despite their major ecological interest: “Between two plots, I had to make space”
Increase the “hurdle bonus”
The benefits of hedges are multiple: they store carbon and water, shelter rich biodiversity, protect against erosion and wind, etc. In April, it’s a report of the General Council for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas which brought to light their accelerated disappearance. Subsequently, a consultation was launched by the government. The pact, unveiled by the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, and the Secretary of State for Biodiversity, Sarah El Haïry, describes six main axes. But negotiations must still continue: over the coming weeks, the stakeholders (chambers of agriculture, agricultural unions, associations, communities, etc.) will have to agree on the modalities for implementing the twenty-five actions corresponding to these broad outlines.
Among these is improving knowledge and planning over the next ten years. A “hedge observatory” must be set up to carry out a precise inventory but also to monitor, in the future, developments in the hedgerow. “The important thing is that this observatory does not just look at what is happening but can also evaluate the effect of public policies”underlines Philippe Hirou.
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