Research project Building momentum and trust to achieve credible soil carbon farming in the EU
General introduction
The Credible project developed governance rules for carbon farming at the European level. The broader goal was to build trust and support for carbon farming practices in the European Union. The CREDIBLE project, an EU Soil Mission project, was tasked, among other things, with establishing a Network of Networks (NoN) to promote transparency, environmental awareness, and standardized methods for soil carbon accounting. Focusing on three main themes—which practices, which standards, and how to monitor—CREDIBLE coordinated 11 technical Focus Groups (FGs), which served as collaborative platforms for researchers, government agencies, and existing agricultural networks. As the leader of FG 3.4, ILVO developed guidelines for managing Long-Term Monitoring (LTM) data in accordance with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable), so that this data can effectively support regional carbon farming schemes. More specifically, the roles of LTMs were examined, along with the challenges and opportunities associated with using LTM data in carbon farming. To encourage open dialogue and engage a broad group of stakeholders, CREDIBLE also organized three annual European Carbon Farming Summits.
Research approach
A robust Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system is essential to ensure that carbon removals have high environmental integrity, that the removals are genuine, additional, measurable and permanent, and that they rule out carbon leakage and double counting. Within the Network of Networks (NoN) established by the CREDIBLE project, ILVO led one of the 11 focus groups on the use of data from long-term monitoring sites in the context of carbon agriculture. FG3.4 was launched in early 2024 with 19 members and has since grown to include 25 experts from both the public and private sectors, including research institutes, universities, companies, international organisations and SMEs. By gathering ideas during six FG3.4 meetings and through breakout sessions at three European Carbon Farming Summits (ECFS), ILVO was able to draw up guidelines for managing LTM data in accordance with the FAIR principles to support carbon farming.
Relevance/Valorization
ILVO focused primarily on the use of LTM data for MRV in agricultural activities, whilst some LTM networks also cover forest management, peatland systems and other forms of land use. The discussion was (usefully) broadened to include data sharing between the public and private sectors, with a view to reducing the administrative burden on land managers and increasing the cost-effectiveness of MRV in carbon agriculture.
Financing
EU Horizon Europe
