Evaluation of agri-environmental measures in Flanders, Belgium

Flemish rural development policy aims at improving the competitiveness of agriculture while enhancing the environment and the countryside by supporting land management. The quality of life in rural areas is encouraged by diversification of economic activities. The chapter focuses on the evaluation of the environmental effects of two types of rural development measures. First, the environmental effects of farm investment support measures targeting farm modernisation and diversification into non-agricultural activities were assessed. Second, the impacts of agri-environmental measures on farmland bird populations (numbers, species diversity and breeding) were measured based on two separate monitoring initiatives. Results of both evaluations are reported.