Research project Supporting sustainable practices for agriculture with a lower carbon footprint and resilience to climate change.

General introduction

Simultaneous measurement and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on farm and efficiently adaptation to climate change: this is an ambition of the participatory, interregional research project Agriclimate. Scientists, consultants and farmers from Flanders, Wallonia and France aim to exchange area-specific, existing solutions (for the farm level) and especially to make them more comparable. The project takes a cross-border approach so that agro-producers can cite area-specific figures and pathways with their cross-border-operating suppliers and customers.

Research approach

The three actors (scientists, consultants and farmers) are studying different aspects of carbon footprinting and resilience. By sharing their knowledge on climate mitigation and adaptation, knowledge gaps are revealed. Several tools used by farmers to quantify and help reduce their carbon footprint (Klimrek in Flanders, CAP2'ER, DECiDE) are compared and made more comparable. Tools to increase resilience in a changing climate, and to estimate the socioeconomic impacts of climate action are also being addressed. The instruments will be better aligned so that equivalent figures and comparable pathways are available in the border region. A specific pathway is that around the impact of heat stress in dairy cattle: Via cross-border farm networks, the pros (positive impact on animals and production) and cons (price) of innovations to avoid heat stress will be examined.

Relevance/Valorization

Western European farms face major climate mitigation and adaptation challenges. They need robust and, above all, cross-border tools to arm themselves against climate change, to be resilient in the changed climate and to have insights into possible actions and measures they can take.

Financing

Interreg Fr Wal Vl
Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen