Whitepaper on Sustainable Agriculture

The last year has been characterised by 3 events that were of high relevance for Europe´s agricultural sector: The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, the UN Food Systems Summit, and the signature of the new common agricultural policy: 2023-27 (New CAP). Their common denominator: the impact of human activity on climate change and biodiversity loss with agriculture playing a significant role in it. There is an urgent need for the implementation of mitigation and adaptation actions to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and to limit global warming to 1.5 °Celsius while restoring biodiversity and sustaining global food security.

The agricultural sector is both contributing to and suffering from global warming. A series of mitigating and adaptation solutions have been developed that are based on e.g., advanced digital tools or regenerative practices.

In this paper - published by EIT Food Central - we review some of the most promising solutions that not only support a transition to more sustainable agriculture but also help European farmers in meeting the sustainability targets set out by the EU Green Deal and new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). We advocate for a systemic approach that includes all stakeholders of the European food value chain with co-creation with farmers being key for the successful adoption of climate-neutral, resilient, and economically viable farming practices.