Farm sustainability data network

Getting involved is simple: just contact the FSDN liaison agency that organises data collection in your country. As the FSDN is a voluntary survey designed for “market-oriented farms”, the national liaison agency can check if your farm fulfils the criteria to take part.

The data collected supports sustainability analysis at both national and EU levels, helping policymakers take informed decisions for the CAP and  the broader policies affecting the agricultural sector. Agricultural research in the field of economics and sustainability uses the information gathered as a key data source.

National authorities provide advice and feedback to farmers based on FSDN data, mostly applying comparisons on sustainability indicators between a holding and groups of similar farms, in particular the best performers (benchmarking). For the FSDN to produce meaningful results, EU countries must select a representative sample of farms where enough farms belonging to the different selection criteria should volunteer. Collecting data at the farm level allows linking different aspects of sustainability within each farm and analysing groups of farms based on similar characteristics.

One key analysis compares farms applying for certain CAP interventions with comparable farms that do not, guiding improvements to agricultural policies.

Farmers who participate gain access to reports that compare their results with similar farms - for example, those in the same sector or of a similar economic size, helping them improve performance and management. Some countries also offer financial incentives for farmers who join.

Non-participating farmers can still benefit, though the results they have access to are usually less detailed and tailored.

Providing data is also a way to contribute to more efficient policy. This is a way for participating farmers to shape the CAP of the future.

The time required depends on how data is collected in each country. In some countries, data is gathered from registries and administrations. In others, data collectors visit farms directly, or farmers may compile the data themselves. For specific details, please get in touch with your FSDN liaison agency.

Until 2025, collected information was solely related to structural (areas of crops, headage of animals, assets) and accountancy information (value of farm output, costs of farm inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides). Other information is gradually added, such as quantities of fertilisers, pesticides, feed, and antimicrobials. Data on farm management in terms of environmental farming practices, manure, water, energy, market integration and other factors will also be collected.

The FSDN only requires data at farm level that is not available elsewhere, as it follows a “collect once, reuse multiple times” approach, using as much data as possible from existing national and EU databases, including the Integrated Administrative Control System (IACS) that manages CAP aid applications in EU countries.

This approach helps reduce the amount of information requested directly from participating farmers and makes better use of available data for policy analysis. However, some specific information may still need to be collected directly from farmers if it is not available from other sources.

Data is collected by national administrations and then sent to the European Commission to allow for farm-level sustainability analysis in support of assessing and improving agricultural policy.

The data is published only in aggregated form by national administrations and the European Commission, ensuring individual farm details are not disclosed. Researchers may request more detailed data, but only for research purposes.

Depending on the national data collection system, data might be gathered by surveyors, or sourced from farm accountancy systems, management software, or documents like invoices. In all cases, strict data protection rules are applied to prevent the misuse or disclosure of personal information.