In the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027, three words define the European agricultural vision: environment, climate, biodiversity.
For the first time, farmers are rewarded not only for how much they produce, but also for how they produce.
At the heart of this shift are the eco-schemes — voluntary measures that provide additional payments to farmers who adopt certified sustainable practices.
But what do these eco-schemes mean in practice for wheat and cereal production in Italy?
What Are Eco-Schemes?
Eco-schemes are a new tool under the CAP that offer annual per-hectare payments to farmers who adopt agricultural practices beneficial to the environment and climate.
In Italy, they are part of the National Strategic Plan (PSN) and absorb roughly 25% of the CAP’s first pillar funds — over €900 million per year.
Each farmer can choose one or more eco-schemes, receiving additional support depending on the practice adopted.
For cereal producers, these instruments represent a direct incentive to transition toward greener, climate-smart systems.
The Main Eco-Schemes for Cereal Crops
Italy’s Strategic Plan defines five main eco-schemes, three of which directly impact cereal systems:
- Eco-Scheme 1 – Animal welfare and extensive grazing
→ Indirectly linked to cereal–forage rotations. - Eco-Scheme 2 – Grass cover in tree crops
→ Less relevant for cereals but important in mixed systems. - Eco-Scheme 3 – Organic farming
→ The most demanding: rewards certified or transitioning organic farms with €120–300/ha payments. - Eco-Scheme 4 – Soil and biodiversity protection practices
→ Highly relevant for wheat: includes crop rotations, cover crops, and reduced tillage (minimum tillage). - Eco-Scheme 5 – Integrated management of water and fertilizers
→ Promotes low-consumption irrigation and precision fertilization.
Wheat and Crop Rotations: The Core of Eco-Scheme 4
For wheat producers, Eco-Scheme 4 is the real turning point.
It rewards farms that implement three-year crop rotations including at least one legume or soil-improving crop, moving away from the continuous monocropping model that depletes soil health.
Combined with cover crops during the off-season, these practices can:
- reduce erosion and improve soil organic matter;
- increase microbial biodiversity;
- lower CO₂ emissions by 10–15% compared to monoculture (CREA, 2024).
In central and southern Italy — where durum wheat dominates — such measures offer a realistic path toward sustainability, though they require upfront investments and strong agronomic planning.
Challenges and Weak Points
Despite their potential, eco-schemes face several hurdles:
- Bureaucratic complexity: applications and monitoring require GIS mapping and technical documentation;
- Lack of specialized agronomic advisory services, especially for small farms;
- Territorial inequality: smaller and fragmented holdings risk exclusion;
- Economic gap: payments may not always cover the extra costs of sustainable practices.
As highlighted in the CREA Policy and Bioeconomy Report (2024), sustained technical support is essential to translate policy into effective field practices.
From Numbers to Good Practices
Preliminary data from AGEA (2024) show that about 42% of Italy’s cereal area has joined at least one eco-scheme in the first year of implementation.
The most proactive regions — Emilia-Romagna, Marche, and Puglia — have benefited from technical networks and cooperative structures that ease the transition.
Pilot projects, such as the one launched in Basilicata by CREA and local universities, are testing the “wheat–faba bean–mustard” rotation model, combining low-input farming with measurable gains in soil carbon and yield stability.
Eco-Schemes and the Future: From Obligation to Opportunity
Eco-schemes are not just another bureaucratic layer — they are the foundation of a new social contract between agriculture and society.
The farmer is no longer only a food producer, but also a steward of biodiversity, soil, and climate.
When properly implemented, these measures can:
- make farms more resilient to climate risks;
- improve the public perception of cereal production;
- open access to emerging green markets and carbon-credit initiatives.
At EcoWheataly, we see eco-schemes as more than financial tools: they are levers for systemic change, where wheat production becomes both economically viable and environmentally responsible.
Sources:
- Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty (MASAF, 2024). Strategic Plan for the CAP 2023–2027.
- CREA – Policy and Bioeconomy (2024). Eco-Schemes and the Ecological Transition in Italy.
- AGEA (2024). Implementation of CAP and Eco-Scheme Participation Report.
- European Commission (2023). Eco-Schemes Implementation in EU Member States.
- FAO (2023). Agroecological Transition and Soil Conservation Practices.