Project Credible opens public consultation on its report “Conceptualizing fit-for-region carbon farming for the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation”

Agricultural transformation requires not only technical innovation but also systemic change, and therefore a dual approach that integrates both individual carbon farming practices and holistic agricultural systems is needed to ensure sustainability and alignment with EU policies. This reflection, stemming from the European Carbon Farming Summits and expert discussions within one of Project Credible’s Focus Groups, is one of the many insights of the report “Conceptualizing fit-for-region carbon farming for the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Regulation”, developed by Kaj Granholm (BSAG), Tatiana Bullová (BEC), and Daniel Ács (BEC), which is available here.

The document, open for public consultation, builds on top of the outcomes of the first European Carbon Farming Summit, which emphasized that EU climate actions should promote holistic sustainability transitions in sectors impacted by climate policies. In this context, promoting biodiversity is essential, as diversified agricultural systems can simultaneously boost ecosystem services and yield, as shown by studies confirming win-win outcomes for biodiversity and food production.

However, the Focus Group discussions revealed that many farmers are hesitant to adopt carbon farming practices, due to unclear benefits and the complexities of engaging with existing carbon credit markets. This feedback underscores the urgency of creating clear, practical pathways and supportive policies to promote carbon farming on a broader scale. Carbon sequestration methods must be not only practical and beneficial for farmers, but also context-specific, tailored to regional climatic and soil conditions for effective adaptation.

The report also stresses the importance of recognizing the significance of local sourcing and shorter supply chains, encouraging collaboration among agrifood value chain operators to adopt carbon farming practices that reduce carbon footprints. Also, stronger EU and member state policies are necessary to allocate funding to eco-schemes, facilitating the scaling of carbon farming initiatives. Co-creating solutions and learning from existing regional initiatives is also essential, underscoring the value of Living Labs as effective platforms for developing tailored approaches and fostering innovation in carbon farming practices, as well as the role of pioneers to act as lighthouses guiding transformation.

The Focus Group report delves deeper into all these considerations, while providing examples and recommendations for policy frameworks. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this public consultation, which is funded by the European Union and monitored closely by the Expert Group on Carbon Removals that supports the Commission in its ambition to develop the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Certification Framework.