Future Services towards New Policies and Practices in Carbon Farming

We organised a pre-event on Monday, 3rd of March 2025, as a lead-up to the EU Carbon Farming Summit. The event brought together participants of the Summit and other colleagues for a collaborative discussion on the future of carbon farming services.

Our activities combined open space group discussions, where participants explored critical questions for shaping the future of carbon farming and a panel discussion.

The invited panelists were Karl Richards, The Agriculture and Food Department, Werner Kutsch, ICOS ERIC, Pieta Jarva, BSAG, Ibrahim Khalil, Trinity College and Ken Byrne, University of Limerick. The panel was moderated by Layla Höckerstedt. 

Below is a summary of the key insights from each discussion group.

What are the services/platforms that need to be in place to implement future legislation related to carbon farming? Which parts of these services are already developed? 

One of the key areas explored is the Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system, which ensures that carbon sequestration practices are accurately monitored and validated. Different countries are at varying stages of MRV development, with Finland leading the implementation process with the Carbon Action Platform, while countries like Latvia are still in the early stages of adoption. Another critical aspect is the transition from Tier 1 to Tier 3 models for carbon measurement, where more sophisticated and accurate data collection methods are required to improve emissions tracking and carbon sequestration potential.

In addition to MRV, the discussion highlights the need for digital tools and databases that provide real-time monitoring capabilities, enabling farmers, policymakers, and investors to make informed decisions. These digital platforms would facilitate data harmonization, ensuring consistency in reporting emissions and removals across different regions. The role of financial incentives and scalable payment systems for carbon credits is also emphasized, as successful carbon farming depends on linking farmers to buyers willing to invest in sustainable practices. Participants discuss the importance of structured markets for carbon credits, where clear regulations and reliable verification mechanisms would increase trust and participation from farmers and businesses alike.

Furthermore, the discussion touches on the need for awareness and education among farmers, as well as government involvement in setting policies that promote carbon farming adoption. In some regions, voluntary schemes already exist, but there is uncertainty about how they will integrate into future regulatory frameworks. Finally, collaboration among stakeholders, including research institutions, private sector entities, and policymakers, is identified as a crucial factor in building a sustainable and efficient carbon farming ecosystem.

Who are the stakeholders that will be part of the future services? How is the money flow within the stakeholders?

One example of a currently operational initiative addressing money flow is the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme (SNHS) in Northern Ireland, a government-funded research initiative focused on improving soil health and addressing phosphorus pollution. Through this scheme, private companies are paid to provide MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) services, measuring soil health and carbon on around 100,000 farms, while farmers receive advisory services and data on their land but no direct financial compensation. Although the scheme supports farmers' future eligibility for subsidies and compliance, concerns remain about the long-term sustainability of government funding. Broader discussions also highlight that farmers, as the key actors implementing carbon farming, should receive fair payments for generating carbon credits, which should be sold transparently (avoiding double counting) and ideally remain within the agricultural sector rather than being bought by industries like aviation. Additionally, the scope of these credits should extend beyond carbon to include methane and nitrogen, ensuring a holistic approach to emissions reduction.

Who would be providing input data to the MRV system? (Countries/defining stakeholders in each country)

Drawing on their experiences in their own countries (Finland, Germany, Ireland, UK),  the participants agreed that the data originating from e.g. a farm would most likely not be measured by the farmers themselves but rather by consultants or companies, working in collaboration with or at least connected to researchers (universities, research centers).

A key point was stressed: the openness of data. Some data is already provided in a mandatory way to the local ministries (Germany, Finland…), mainly for purposes related to the CAP, but this data is mostly restricted due to GDPR and it is not openly available. Two other points were mentioned: the question of the uncertainty of measures that should be clearly documented and reported, and the sustainability of the whole system, including for instance, the software and the APIs used. 

One interesting comment was made by a participant of Northern Ireland who insisted that, although satellite observations are often considered an easy way to produce data, they are of almost no use for them, as the local weather conditions do not allow for quality observations during most of the year. 

What is the best necessary information for modelers?

There is a strong necessity for a common data set for supporting and benchmarking models. This data set should be completely open and available for everybody who wants to work on the topic. It should be comprehensive, including different methods like repeated stock take as well as flux measurements. Important are ancillary data such as management history (including lateral carbon transfer with harvest and manure), weather data and soil characteristics.

ICOS can be an important data source for flux data in this context. There are long-term cropland sites within ICOS with a comprehensive set of ancillary data. Furthermore, ICOS is well connected to the flux community and can support other cropland sites in adding their data to a common data set. We are ready to be part of an initiative to support the common data pool supporting and benchmarking models.

Panel Discussion Recap: What key factors should we consider when designing new services to mitigate the risks you've identified?

Key factors for future carbon farming systems include establishing transparent eco-food labeling standards to ensure sustainable production and building consumer trust both domestically and internationally by improving models like "Origin Green". Decisions must be grounded in robust, long-term scientific research on carbon sequestration and farming impacts. Farmers should play a central role in shaping policies and services, supported by an independent European-level oversight body to ensure fairness and transparency. Local carbon credit systems need to prioritize in-sector trading, keeping the benefits within the food system, while regional cooperation among farmers can facilitate certification and amplify positive outcomes. The challenge remains that current systems do not adequately reward good practices, and farmers must see tangible benefits. Ultimately, the goal is to create a trustworthy, transparent framework that fairly compensates farmers for their essential role in climate action—an ambitious but necessary step toward a sustainable and climate-resilient future for Ireland and Europe.

This workshop was a collaboration between Integrated Carbon Observation Systems (ICOS ERIC), Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) as part of the Work Package 2 in IRISCC project.

This post was authored by Mariana Salgado, Maiju Tiiri, Werner Kutsch, Emmanuel Salmon, Layla Höckerstedt, and Elisa Vainio.