The Political Economy of Biodiversity Policy Reform
This report provides insights on the political economy of biodiversity related policy reforms. It draws on existing literature and four new case studies covering the French tax on pesticides, agricultural subsidy reform in Switzerland, EU payments to Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau to finance marine protected areas via conservation trust funds, and individually transferable quotas for fisheries in Iceland. Each case study focusses on the drivers of reform, the types of obstacles encountered, key features of the policy reform, and the lessons learned from the reform experience.
The evolution of the tax on pesticides and the pesticide savings certificates in France
This chapter examines the evolution of the tax on pesticides and the recent introduction of the pesticide savings certificates in France. The analysis takes a political economy perspective to identify potential barriers to reform that were encountered and if and how they were overcome. This case study illustrates how potential competitiveness impacts may or may not influence reform, the benefits of broad stakeholder engagement and how a solid evidence base can help the government resist the influence of vested interests.