Compensatory Measures (Production-Integrated Compensation/PIK) – Westphalian Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Westphalian Cultural Landscape Foundation offers companies, public institutions, and agricultural enterprises in North Rhine-Westphalia the opportunity to implement ecological compensation measures directly on agricultural land through the funding program "production-integrated compensation (PIK)." As a nature conservation compensation for interventions caused by construction and infrastructure projects, the program supports a comprehensive catalog of measures ranging from flowering strips and riparian buffer zones to orchard meadows, skylark plots, and extensive grazing. Through long-term management contracts, agricultural use is maintained, and farmers secure stable income sources. The foundation assumes overall coordination – from land acquisition and planning to implementation, monitoring, and digital management of the compensation measures. This provides both permitting authorities and private project sponsors with a "worry-free all-in-one package."

The funding objective is to balance the ecological points of construction measures in the region while simultaneously promoting biodiversity. Land submissions and project inquiries are possible at any time, as the program operates with rolling deadlines. Through cooperation between the foundation and agricultural partners, diverse solution pathways emerge that integrate nature conservation and biodiversity aspects with regional development goals and the preservation of the cultural landscape. Interested enterprises and municipalities can propose land via a simple submission form and enter into dialogue with the foundation. In this way, the program contributes in the long term to strengthening climate-friendly and nature-compatible land use in North Rhine-Westphalia.