Research project Climate actions with economic potential on (mixed) cattle farm

In progress KLIMREK VV 01/01/2026 → 31/12/2029

Contact our expert

Veerle Van linden

ILVO onderzoeker

Contact

Info Contact Partners

General introduction

How can ILVO researchers help Flemish cattle farmers in their pursuit of reduced net greenhouse gas emissions and/or greater climate resilience? ILVO and BBP are joining forces to launch trajectories for this sector as well. The answer lies in the development and roll-out of the existing KLIMREK approach, designed by ILVO and adapted to this sub-sector. A distinctive feature of the KLIMREK VV project is the extra attention given to climate reporting, a demand from buyers (e.g. retail) of Belgian beef. The aim is to score the performance of the cattle farm on multiple environmental impacts during the scan phase — at minimum on the greenhouse effect, and additionally on, among other things, the acidifying and eutrophying effect. On the basis of all collected data, it should be possible to draw up a nitrogen flow model that calculates the farm-specific ammonia emissions. This can support policy in the transition from a nitrogen deposition to a nitrogen emission model. KLIMREK VV targets 60 farms, half of which are in an advisory trajectory and the other half in a reporting trajectory. Beef cattle farms are under pressure to reduce their climate impact while remaining economically viable.

The overall approach of Klimrek-VV follows the blueprint of Klimrek to arrive at a scan applicable to all beef cattle farms, including mixed farms. We are developing a climate trajectory consisting of a climate scan and a climate course. The climate scan reflects the climate status of the farm and its areas for improvement. The climate course guides the farmer toward the implementation of climate-smart measures on the farm. A climate scan starts from an extensive life cycle analysis (LCA) of a number of representative farms and is reduced to a workable instrument — the scan — which captures the most important emission and consumption items and results in a carbon footprint at that point in time. From there, an individual improvement trajectory is initiated: the climate course. Possible climate measures are weighed against environmental gain, economic feasibility, and practical feasibility. At the same time, the farm is benchmarked against other farms. In addition to individual guidance, the farmer is supported in group settings through learning networks. This is repeated annually and progress is quantified.

Step by step, multiple tailored measures are implemented on the livestock farms. By examining performance across multiple environmental impacts, problem shifts are prevented. The reporting trajectory focuses specifically on the reporting requirements of buyers. The first 60 cattle farmers will be supported in this project in their transition toward a more climate-resilient and climate-friendly farm management. The threshold is very low — they receive individual guidance and learn from their fellow farmers. The annual follow-up is both motivating and enriching. From both the farms in the advisory trajectory and those in the reporting trajectory, we expect valuable feedback, sufficient for further roll-out in practice after the project concludes.

Research approach

The global approach of Klimrek-VV follows the Klimrek blueprint to develop a scan applicable to all beef cattle farms, including mixed operations. We are developing a climate trajectory consisting of a climate scan and a climate course. The climate scan reflects the climate status of the farm and its areas for improvement. The climate trajectory guides the farmer toward implementing climate-smart measures on the farm. A climate scan starts from a comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA) of a number of representative farms and is reduced to a workable instrument — the scan — which captures the most important emission and consumption items and results in a carbon footprint at that point in time. From there, an individual improvement trajectory is initiated: the climate course. Potential climate measures are weighed against environmental benefit, economic feasibility, and practical feasibility. At the same time, the farm is benchmarked against other farms. In addition to individual guidance, farmers are supported as a group through learning networks. This process is repeated annually and progress is quantified.

Relevance/Valorization

Step by step, multiple tailored measures are implemented on livestock farms. By examining performance across several environmental impacts, problem-shifting is prevented. For the reporting trajectory, the focus is specifically placed on the reporting requirements of buyers. The first 60 cattle farmers are supported in a low-threshold manner in this project as they transition toward a more climate-resilient and climate-friendly farm management. They receive individual guidance and learn from their fellow farmers. The annual follow-up is both motivating and enriching. From both the farms in the advisory trajectory and those in the reporting trajectory, we expect valuable feedback — sufficient for further roll-out in practice after the project concludes.