Advisory services for farms

As the causal relationships related to environmental management are complex and farms very different, it is important to offer advice to farmers committing themselves to environmental measures.

Advisory services are available, for example, on the following matters:

– environmental matters (opportunity to have an environmental plan drawn up, addressing a wide range of farm-related environmental issues)

– health and welfare of production animals (opportunity to have a health care plan drawn up for production animals) and

– more efficient energy use and renewable energy (opportunity to have an energy plan drawn up to enhance the farm’s energy efficiency).

Enhancing the effectiveness of agri-environmental measures and improving their targeting through advisory services requires that the observations made when providing advice can be taken into account by adjusting the commitment an applicant has already made. Advisory services may also help to pinpoint potential development needs concerning animal welfare.

Putting research-based knowledge and innovations into practice requires close collaboration between farmers, researchers, advisers and companies.