IRISCC Workshop Explored Utopian Visions for European Agriculture

Guided by the central question, "What future services can we envision to more effectively meet policymakers' needs using research infrastructure data?", the workshop employed a collaborative, hands-on approach. The 25 participants— including invited experts in diverse fields ranging from farming and environmental policy to research—were divided into three groups, each facilitated by a dedicated leader. The three proposals described future utopian scenarios for Flanders, Portugal, Ireland and Central Europe. Based on their expertise each group selected in which region or country they wanted to work. 

Participants were given a set of cards describing stakeholders such as farmers, farmer advisors, food industry and ministry representatives. Attendees created a utopian scenario on the network of stakeholder relationships and dependencies, depicting the needed services with the cards. Key questions in this work included the identification of parts of the services, the stakeholders involved in them and how the different parts of the system would play out in the real world. 

Farmers at the Heart

A consistent theme across all scenarios is the need to place farmers at the center of the agricultural system. Currently, farmers often feel marginalized, burdened by regulations, and disconnected from the policy-making processes that directly impact their livelihoods.  The utopian vision flips this dynamic. Whether it's Ireland’s focus on keeping farmers on the land or Portugal/Flanders highlighting farmers as key decision-makers, the message is clear: a sustainable future requires empowering farmers. Farmers in Europe are ageing, with the average age nearing 60 years. This raises an important question: how can we make farming an attractive career choice for younger generations? To ensure the future of agriculture, we need to inspire and support a new generation of enthusiastic farmers.

Data-Driven Transparency and Trust

Another key element is data. The Central European scenario highlights the importance of centralized data management for carbon credit systems, while the Irish scenario stresses the need for long-term monitoring and research to ensure the credibility of food labelling schemes. Across the board, transparency is paramount. Farmers need to trust that systems are fair and adequately compensated and that oversight bodies are accountable. Data, when managed effectively and transparently, can be a powerful tool for building this trust.

For different MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) systems, these systems must comply with international standards, link carbon sequestration ("carbon farming") to agronomic strategies, and be tailored to regional contexts. They should also be developed through international collaboration involving public research institutions, the private sector, and farmers. Additionally, it is crucial to integrate this data with national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and establish clear rules for managing farm-level data. These rules must address who owns the data, who can access it, and how it can be used effectively.

Addressing Fraud and Conflicts of Interest

The potential for fraud and conflicts of interest emerged as a significant concern. From the role of assessors in the Central Europe scenario, potentially enabling fraudulent reporting to the discussion of brokers in Portugal/Flanders, it's clear that robust oversight mechanisms are essential. Independent bodies are needed to ensure that carbon credit schemes are not exploited and that the system's integrity is maintained.

Balancing Local and Global Markets

The Irish scenario raised an interesting point about balancing local and global markets. While the emphasis is on "insetting"—reducing emissions within the farm and food industry itself—the reality is that Ireland is a major exporter. The utopian vision must, therefore, create a system that is both beneficial to local communities and credible on the international stage. This may involve a multi-layered approach where farms prioritize local sales before selling carbon credits externally.

Moving Beyond Monetary Incentives

While financial compensation is undoubtedly important, the scenarios also emphasized the need to incentivize farmers through other means. Farmer networks, knowledge sharing, and recognition within their profession can all play a crucial role in motivating sustainable practices. It's about creating a culture of excellence and innovation in agriculture, where farmers are proud to be stewards of the land.

A Step-by-Step Approach

Achieving this utopian vision will be a gradual process. As highlighted in the discussion about Ireland, a step-by-step approach is needed, starting with individual farms and gradually expanding to localities and regions. These steps have been taken in some places, as we already have a service lab (Carbon Action) in Finland - but there is still much work to do. It requires collaboration between farmers, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.

Confronting Monopolies

Finally, the scenario in Ireland raised a critical issue about monopolies in the food industry. If the meat industry, for example, holds too much power, it can stifle innovation and prevent farmers from receiving fair compensation for sustainable practices. Addressing these power imbalances is essential for creating a truly equitable and sustainable agricultural system.

Conclusion: A Collaborative Path Forward

The path towards implementing the carbon farming framework for Europe is complex, but the discussions on Future Utopian scenarios offer a roadmap. By prioritizing farmers, fostering transparency and trust, addressing fraud, balancing local and global markets, and confronting monopolies, Europe can create a good implementation of the carbon removal and harmonized carbon farming (CRCF) framework that is both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. It’s a vision that requires collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to creating a better future for all. 

If you are interested in designing future utopian scenarios, a digital version of this set of cards depicting stakeholders and part of the services is available. Contact us, and we will help you implement this at your own organisation or with your partners. We would like to extend this multi-stakeholder conversation and replicate it in other contexts. 

This workshop was a collaboration between Integrated Carbon Observation Systems (ICOS ERIC), Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) as part of the Work Package 2 in IRISCC project.

Blog written by Mariana Salgado, Maiju Tiiri, Elisa Vainio and Layla Höckerstedt.