ABSTRACT
Throughout history, agriculture has played a dominant role in rural areas. In many rural areas throughout Europe nowadays, agriculture is still an important economic activity and an important factor in the creation of wealth and employment (both directly and indirectly). However, this dominant role of agriculture in the rural environment is declining, alongside an evolution in the definition of this role. Rural areas are increasingly shifting from being productive towards being consumptive areas (Juntti and Potter, 2002) that need to deliver social, recreational or maintenance functions. In this context, society increasingly expects agriculture to contribute to environmental, nature and landscape services. This can partly be explained by the rapid urbanization process in rural areas, which means that the traditional harmony and understanding between agriculture and society are gradually decreasing (Delgado et al, 2003). In order to reduce the negative externalities of agriculture and satisfy new demands, the European Union (EU) introduced the concept of agri-environmental schemes (AESs) in Reg. (EC) 2078/92, which later became the backbone of the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
