7 
 
currently in favourable status are in that category or show a strong positive trend. 
The Commission and the European Environme ntal Agency will provide guidance 
to Member States in 2020 on how to select and prioritise species and habitats. 
 
2.2.2. Bringing nature back to agricultural land 
As guardians of our land, farmers play a vital role in preserving biodiversity. They are 
among the first to feel the consequences when biodiversity is lost but also among the first 
to reap the benefits when it is restored. Biodiversity enables them to provide us with safe, 
sustainable, nutritious and affordable food  and provides them with the income they 
need to thrive and develop. European farmers are an essential part of the EU’s future and 
must continue to be the social and economic hub of many communities across our Union.   
At the same time, certain agricultural  practices are a key driver of biodiversity decline. 
This is why it is important to work with farmers to support and incentivise the 
transition to fully sustainable practices . Improving the condition and diversity of 
agroecosystems will increase the sector ’s resilience to climate change, environmental 
risks and socioeconomic shocks, while creating new jobs, for example in organic 
farming, rural tourism or recreation.  
To support the long -term sustainability of both nature and farming, this strategy will 
work in tandem with the new Farm to Fork Strategy and the  new Common 
Agricultural Policy (CAP) , including by promoting eco -schemes and result -based 
payment schemes. In implementing the Biodiversity and the Farm to Fork Strategies, the 
Commission will closely monitor progress and improvements in terms of food security 
and farmers income.  The Commission will ensure that the CAP Strategic plans are 
assessed against robust climate and environmental criteria, and that Member States set 
explicit national values for the relevant targets set in this strategy, as well as in the Farm 
to Fork Strategy . These plans should lead to sustainable practices such as precision 
agriculture, organic farming, agro -ecology, agro -forestry, low -intensive permanent 
grassland, and stricter animal welfare standards. 
Farmland birds and insects, particularly pollinators, are key indicators of the health of 
agroecosystems and are vital for agricultural production and food security. Their 
alarming decline must be reversed. As set out in the Far m to Fork Strategy, the 
Commission will take action to reduce by 50% the overall use of – and risk from – 
chemical pesticides by 2030 and reduce by 50% the use of more hazardous  pesticides 
by 2030. This must be supported by the full implementation of the EU Pollinators 
initiative31. By the end of 2020, the Commission will review the initiative and propose 
additional measures if necessary.  To provide space for wild animals, plants, pollinators 
and natural pest regulators, there is an urgent need to bring bac k at least 10% of 
agricultural area under high -diversity landscape features . These include, inter alia, 
buffer strips, rotational or non -rotational fallow land, hedges, non -productive trees, 
terrace walls, and ponds. These help enhance carbon sequestration, prevent soil erosion 
and depletion, filter air and water, and support climate adaptation. In addition, more 
biodiversity often helps lead to more agricultural production. Member States will need to 
translate the 10%  EU target to a lower geographical scale to ensure connectivity among 
habitats, especially through the CAP instruments and CAP Strategic Plans, in line with 
the Farm to Fork Strategy, and through the implementation of the Habitats Directive. The 
                                                 
31  EU Pollinators initiative (COM(2018) 395).