The EU study “𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘖𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨” explores how farmers can be fairly rewarded for practices that store carbon and reduce emissions, objectives deeply shared by the project 𝙇𝙄𝙁𝙀 𝙑𝙞𝙩𝙞𝘾𝙖𝙎𝙚.
The report examines 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 to boost carbon farming across Europe:
1️⃣ 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 – simple schemes compensating specific practices, already familiar under the CAP, but not directly linked to measured carbon outcomes.
2️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 – rewards tied to verified emission reductions or carbon storage, promoting efficiency but requiring robust monitoring and data.
3️⃣ 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀 – voluntary carbon-credit systems financed by private actors; effective in mobilizing investment but vulnerable to integrity and double-counting issues.
4️⃣ 𝗛𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 – combining CAP-style support with results-based or market-linked bonuses, offering both stability for farmers and verified environmental impact.
The study finds that these 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 could deliver over 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝘁 𝗖𝗢₂-𝗲𝗾 of mitigation each year by 2030 with benefits for biodiversity, soil, and rural incomes. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀, 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (aligned with the CRCF) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 are essential to attract participation and private investment. With the right policies, carbon farming could deliver not only emission reductions but also healthier soils, more resilient farms, and new opportunities for millions of European farmers.
💬 Carbon farming isn’t just about offsetting emissions — it’s about turning Europe’s farmers into key allies for climate neutrality. 🌿
You can find the doc, available for download, here:
European Commission: Directorate-General for Climate Action and Deloitte, Support to the design of policy options for financial incentives for carbon farming – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2834/3812704
Published: 2025
Corporate author(s): Deloitte , Directorate-General for Climate Action (European Commission)
