New agricultural measures to protect ground water sources have not been adopted by farmers despite attempts to design programmes targeting their uptake. The contracts provide payments to farmers if they follow best- practice principles in organic nutrient management and avoid using non-agricultural sources such as sewage sludge, industrial and urban solid waste. The contracts are regulated under the Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) 2014-20, funded under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Commission. The Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (DARP) establishes the contracts with farmers. DARP provides technical support and capacities (e.g.: analytical measurements to optimize fertilizer application). In EFFECT, CTFC will assess the reasons for the low participation rate and provide recommendations for designing a new type of contract (y. 1-2). Based on these, we will establish a pilot project testing a new form of contract arrangement (y. 3-4). DARP is the practice partner in EFFECT for this case.
