Tristano Bacchetti De Gregoris, Project Credible’s coordinator, shares his key takeaways from the Summit

After an intense week of knowledge sharing and building collaborations at the second European Carbon Farming Summit, one thing is clear: carbon farming is not just about carbon –it is about transforming agriculture towards more regenerative practices that consider social, environmental, and economic dimensions. The event, envisioned by SAE Innova, hosted by Project Credible, and organised by Climate KIC, was a resounding success, with more than 550 participants in Dublin and many more online working together to bridge gaps, strengthen collaboration, and shape the future of carbon farming in Europe. After the event, Tristano Bacchetti De Gregoris, Project Credible’s coordinator, shared his reflections:

• “The carbon farming part of the CRCF has the goal to unlock private fundings for nature, with two interlaced objectives: promoting the transformation towards sustainable and resilient agricultural/forest/peatland systems and contributing to meeting the EU emission reduction and climate mitigation targets.”
• “The CRCF is being built in a very transparent way. All actors have their seat on the table and their voices are being heard. Only by working together can we achieve an effective system we can trust. On this aspect Christian Holzleitner, Valeria Forlin and colleagues are doing a fantastic job.”
• “The complexity of working with natural ecosystems on biogenic carbon dynamics is being acknowledged. I can witness a palpable movement towards a framework that recognizes this complexity and rewards holistic approaches that go beyond carbon. This could represent a challenge for the demand side of credits, but it is in line with what the offer side can achieve.”
• “Above all, clarity and long-term vision/targets are the elements most appreciated by the industry. To learn how to better value ecosystem services will be a long journey, and it is key that the ultimate direction remains unchanged. We don't need perfection, we need to keep moving.”
• “While the term carbon farming has helped to attract multi-actor interest, carbon itself is not something farmers and land managers easily understand. It is important that institutions and project developers simplify their communication. Increasing fertility, diversity and above-ground biomass are better concepts for practitioners.”
• “The willingness to adopt new practices may be there, but there is still a huge gap to achieve the required knowledge, advisory services and access to machinery. Public institutions need to play a major role in creating the right condition for change. For innovator farmers, research grants like those from the LIFE Programme and Operational Group from EIP-AGRI Support Facility EIP operational group are the way to go, without disregarding the support of financial institutions like Triodos Bank or Rabobank.”
• “Overall, it has been revitalizing to share these few days with such a vibrant community. I am confident that from now till the third summit, many more solutions and tools will emerge and contribute to achieve the ultimate goal.”

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