Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 66

life

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

Island reaps
rewards of
closer ties
The project to forge stronger links
between the Isle of Wight and similar
rural islands in Europe is celebrating
18 months of achievement. The
aim of the European Island Farm
Landscape project is to create links
amongst island communities, focusing
on environmental issues, the rural
economy and cultural connections.
Since the inaugural workshop on the Isle
of Wight in April 2006, the project has
held meetings in Texel and Menorca. The
fourth international workshop took place
on Inishbofin island in Ireland in late
September 2007, where the participants
agreed the priorities for the future would
be High Nature Value farming, local
produce, local island livestock breeds and
crops, and knowledge transfer. The plan
was to establish an Island Forum and
draft a political message where the islands
jointly identify common opportunities
and issues on farming and landscapes
to be presented as a united initiative
to European Union policy makers.
The contributions of the Trust to the
project have focused on three main areas:
1. Project coordination: overall
coordination and networking with all of
the island partners, including assisting
in staff exchange, preparation of joint
reports and studies, development of
common approaches and comparitive
case studies, organising exchanges
of information, and coordinating
the joint international workshops.
2. Assessment and review of stewardship
agreements favouring landscapes. This

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aspect has involved, amongst others, a
survey by Trust members and volunteers
of the 14 permissive country walks under
the Isle of Wight Countryside Stewardship
and HLS schemes. Most recent work
included a review and commissioned work
by a French Work Placement student from
ENSAT Agriculture College in Toulouse.
She has been working with the Trust and
Island 2000 for six months to investigate
how agro-environmental schemes impact
on the biodiversity of European islands.
Case studies covering the Isle of Wight,
Shetland Isles, Texel and the Irish
offshore islands have been undertaken.
3. Farm diversification and landscapes.
This consultation programme, which
involved 60 Isle of Wight farms, is

exploring opportunities and pitfalls for
island farm businesses, including issues
relating to tourism, transport, isolation,
new and niche markets, food labelling,
abattoirs, and climate change. A farm
diversification workshop focused at Isle
of Wight farmers is being proposed.
If you are interested in visiting or
volunteering to work on any of the
10 island groups in the project please
do not hesitate to contact Graham
Drucker in the Wildlife Trust’s Isle
of Wight office on 01983 532 632.
Further details can be found on the
European Island Farm Landscape project
website at www.islandfarming.net

Island Life - www.isleofwight.net