Catalogue of Best Practices to Promote Sustainable Crop Production Systems and Building Blocks for the Institutional-­‐Economic Design of Sustainable Farming Systems

The purpose of this document is to present a synthesis of relevant policies and incentives, with a particular focus on the European Union (EU) experience, regarding water-­‐nutrient-­‐energy-­‐soil management in intensive agricultural systems, as well as in other models of agriculture like organic farming and conservation agriculture, and an analysis of their implications for FATIMA activities. Further, it presents a portfolio of successful/relevant cases of application of policy instruments to promote sustainable crop production, covering different problems, farming systems, institutional contexts and associated socio-­‐ecological systems. Examples are collected from all over the world, including instruments like, for instance, sustainable financing, certification schemes, payments for ecosystem services, agri-­‐environmental measures and conservation agreements. Thus, the document provides a review of existing policies and instruments. The development of new, innovative policies, instruments, and practices will be discussed in the forthcoming deliverable on policy recommendations.