BEATLES Project Workshop explores challenges and opportunities in climate-smart agriculture transition

In June, 2024, the European BEATLES project published on YouTube their online workshop entitled “Challenges and Opportunities in the Food System Transformation.” This event aimed to address the pressing issues and potential advancements within the agri-food sector. This aligns with the ambitious goals of the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies and the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). 

The workshop provided a platform for experts and stakeholders to discuss the integration of climate-smart agriculture and innovative farming technologies across Europe.

BEATLES stands for Behavioural Change Towards Climate-Smart Agriculture and the project is committed to revolutionising agri-food systems. In the workshop, they highlighted ongoing initiatives through five Use Cases pilots.  

These UC pilots are representative of EU regions (Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands) and agricultural systems (wheat, dairy, fruits, pig sector, onions and table potatoes). These are the major production systems in the EU, corresponding to the majority of EU agricultural exports and accounting for 45% of agricultural land. This diversity of contexts, conditions, farming systems, farm typologies and climate-smart agricultural approaches allows the project to gain meaningful systemic insights about the validity of behavioural insights across countries and contexts.

The Spanish Use Case, centred in the region of Navarra, highlights the potential and challenges of organic apple production. With 166 hectares dedicated to organic apples, making it the region’s most significant organic fruit, Navarra’s agronomic conditions are favourable yet insufficient to meet local demand, with a self-supply level of only 57%. Challenges such as inadequate storage facilities and low consumer awareness about organic produce hinder growth. The project aims to establish a robust organic apple value chain, increasing production and ensuring sustainability through practices like zero waste and advanced pest control technologies.

The Danish Use Case, led by the Food and Biocluster Denmark, emphasised the challenges and incentives related to financial aspects and political priorities in the pig sector. They discussed the impact of the upcoming CO2 tax and the need for enhanced cooperation and trust across the value chain to achieve sustainable agricultural practices. “The CO2 tax could be a potential game changer for many primary producers in the future,” noted Liselotte Puggaard, Innovation Manager at the Food & Bio Cluster Denmark and Danish pilot representative.

The Lithuanian Use Case, spearheaded by AgriFood Lithuania, centred on wheat production. This segment explored the country’s unique position, with greenhouse gas emissions equally divided between crops and livestock. The focus was on implementing five climate-smart agricultural practices, including no-tillage farming and precision agriculture. Key challenges identified were the lack of clear national policies and financial mechanisms, as well as the need for increased farmer awareness and technological adoption. “Farmers still lack awareness about climate-smart practices and the benefits they bring,” said ART21 researcher Juste Vezikauskaite.

The Netherlands pilot focused on table potatoes and onions, highlighted the challenges of achieving fair compensation for farmers adhering to climate-smart practices. The discussion pointed out the need for transparent value chains and supportive policies to enhance the market for sustainably produced goods. Harm Brinks, Project Manager at Delphy, Use Case leader, stated “Farmers need a fair price to compensate for the extra costs associated with climate-smart practices”.

The German Use Case detailed by representatives from southern Bavaria, addressed the dairy sector’s hurdles, such as low demand for organic and fair-trade products, high energy costs, and consumer awareness gaps. The presentation underscored the importance of enhancing communication with consumers and revising policies to support sustainable agricultural practices. “Increasing demand is the main lever to increase the production of organic milk,” highlighted Magdalena Nertinger, Use Case leader from the Naturland Fair and Social Responsibility department of the Naturland Association.

It is important to note that, as it was said in the workshop, the Spanish Use Case representatives were not present due to agenda incompatibilities. More information about this specific Use Case can be found in the BEATLES website, as well as in other activities from the project were they have been actively involved.

This online workshop successfully brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, fostering a collaborative environment to tackle the complex challenges facing the agricultural sector. By promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences, the workshop contributed to advancing the adoption of climate-smart agriculture and sustainable farming practices across Europe.

Download the Workshop Summary here. 

The MAIA project is proud to support projects like BEATLES project, a MAIA synergy project. MAIA focuses on connecting communities, platforms, and research on climate change to maximise impact and synergy. The BEATLES project aims to drive behavioural shifts towards climate-smart agriculture and smart farming technologies. MAIA works to connect and find synergies between EU-funded projects like BEATLES to maximise the impact of their research. 

Get cutting-edge insights direct from climate research projects.
Sign up to our newsletter

Disclaimer

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The information and documentation in this section are published with permission from their respective sources. While the MAIA Project strives to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the content, we make no guarantees or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the validity, reliability, or accuracy of the information. The original sources are solely responsible for the content they provide. We disclaim any liability for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in the information and for any actions taken in reliance on the information contained on this website.