D4.5 Policy and practice guidelines for management of land abandonment in English and in local language of case study regions

This final report summarises how local stakeholders in three case study areas on land abandonment in Europe perceive this issue, its socio-economic and agro-environmental implications and which potential solutions they envisage. Key issues for reflection and consideration have been formulated for local policy makers and land managers, and for policymaker at national and international level, by defining common issue among the case studies. The focus groups started with the presentation of the results from a two-yearmonitoring effort (described in more detail in D4.4 Report on the effect of land abandonment)aimed at proving data on the effects of abandonment on key pests, beneficials, and species of conservation interest in abandoned fields, in adjacent cropped fields and differences between agrobiodiversity in areas with and without abandonment. These data provided evidence that biodiversity is affected but whether this is positive, negative or neutral for biodiversity and for local farming activities in the surrounding areas depends on the local context. The focus groups started from these results and aimed to analyse causes and solutions for land abandonment. Reflections for policy makers are provided.