Climate-smart agriculture

Addressing climate change and its impacts

Impacts of climate change such as higher temperatures, changing weather patterns, with extreme flood events, and prolonged droughts are becoming increasingly evident. People working with and on the land are most directly affected. To limit further concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere, emissions must be cut through mitigation measures and carbon sequestration must be strengthened, while resilience against unavoidable impacts must be built through adaptation measures.

Agriculture accounts for 11% of direct GHG emissions in the EU, with much higher shares in some countries and in overall emissions of two particularly powerful GHGs: methane (mainly from livestock farming) and nitrous oxide (mainly from soil management and fertiliser use). While agricultural GHG emissions in the EU have fallen since 1990, the decrease has slowed down over time.

Research and innovation (R&I) is needed to achieve necessary further reductions, through technological innovation and changes in agricultural practices, and to inform policy making.

Strengthening carbon removals in land use

While some changes in land use, such as conversion of grassland into arable fields, result in additional emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), other land-use practices also provide opportunities to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere by storing carbon in soil and in above-ground biomass. In addition to emission reductions, such land-based carbon removals play an important role in achieving the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal.

R&I is identifying and developing different options for carbon-removing practices as well as addressing social and technological challenges involved in their widespread application.

Research in action

EU-funded research and innovation drive advances in climate-smart agriculture. Projects under Horizon Europe help farmers, foresters and rural communities adapt to changing climate conditions, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve carbon removals. These collaborative efforts foster practical solutions, support modern farming practices, and advance the EU’s climate neutrality goal.

Climate mitigation and carbon removals

To support EU climate targets, further reduction in agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increases in soil carbon sequestration are needed. Improving the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems of GHG emissions, certification methodologies, and the uptake of climate-friendly farming practices is essential. Projects such as the following are central to these efforts:

CREDIBLE brings together stakeholders and experts supporting methodological development by advancing standardised practices, certification benchmarks, and robust monitoring tools to ensure transparency and scalability.
MARVIC contributes to the development of robust, scientifically sound, and cost-effective MRV methods for carbon stock changes and soil emissions, adaptable to local contexts.
MRV4SOC aims to develop an inclusive, robust, transparent, and cost-effective approach to assess GHG emissions, estimate full carbon budgets, and measure soil organic carbon accumulation under both conventional and carbon farming practices. It also seeks to standardise MRV schemes for the EU land sector and establish a methodological framework that enhances stakeholder confidence in voluntary carbon markets amid climate and socio-economic challenges.

The BENCHMARKS project aims at guiding the selection of appropriate soil health indicators, soil health assessment and indexation, and recommendation of management practices to support soil health.

Climate smart solutions

Climate-smart solutions are innovative strategies designed to address climate change and foster sustainable development. Climate-smart farming is an approach that helps farmers strengthen resilience to climate impacts, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance carbon sequestration.

EU-funded projects like ClieNFarms and the following connect farmers, advisors and researchers, and other stakeholders across Europe to speed up climate-smart innovation in agriculture:

Climate Farm Demo is a unique pan-European network of pilot demo farmers covering 28 countries and all pedo-climatic areas. Its overall aim is to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart farming practices and solutions by farmers.
ClimateSmartAdvisors will bring together experts from 27 countries to find ways to adopt climate-smart farming practices. The expert advisors will develop CS innovations and practices.
ClimateSmartResearch aims to accelerate the agricultural sector’s shift towards climate neutrality by developing innovative climate-smart farming technologies and methodologies, involving 29 experimental research stations across Europe.

By building strong networks, these initiatives accelerate the adoption of climate-smart techniques, promote the sharing of best practices, and ensure tangible benefits for farms and the environment.

Climate adaptation and resilience

EU research empowers farmers to respond regionally and effectively to climate challenges, such as droughts and extreme weather. The CLIMED-FRUIT project had built on the results of EIP-AGRI Operational Group projects in the field of adaptation to climate change and mitigation for perennial crops in Mediterranean Area, by compiling and sharing knowledge ready for practice.