First EU multi-actor working group: Factors influencing the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture

The EU multi-actor working group held its first workshop on 23 May 2024. This workshop was organised by AEIDL in the framework of BEATLES Horizon Europe project. It focuses on behavioural analysis to develop transformational pathways to foster the transition to fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food systems and the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) and smart farming technologies in five Use Cases.

The event gathered over 60 attendees from diverse backgrounds, including EU institutions; public authorities at national and regional level; researchers; advisors, NGOs, other EU projects and agri-food industry, business and rural entrepreneurs from 21 countries.

The EU multi-actor working group is understood as a Pan-European Science-Society-Policy group formed by stakeholders involved in transition processes. It is a key part of our BEATLES co-creation process so that the leading research and policy findings we are producing can be assessed by experts and policy practitioners from outside the BEATLES project. This will help AEIDL evaluating how results can be extrapolated to the EU level and whether they may be turned into actionable policy recommendations. 

In the framework of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture and the beginning of the debate on the CAP post-2027, the first workshop aims to present, discuss and validate the current policy findings. During the workshop, five presentations covered the following points:

1. The BEATLES Horizon Europe presented by the project coordinator Marilena Gemtou from the Agricultural University of Athens.
2. The EU agricultural policy landscape as presented by the European Commission DG AGRI. Mr. Gijs Schilthuis emphasised that the legislative proposal for the CAP post 2027 is likely to be tabled in the second half of 2025, shortly after a Commission proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The outcome of the European Parliament elections in June 2024 will significantly influence the political direction of the next European Commission mandate. However, for the post-2027 CAP, it will be crucial to equally prioritise resilience, food security, sustainability, governance, and rural communities.
3. BEATLES insights from its policy work in which Blanca Casares (AEIDL) presented the policy work developed so far, with the aim of supporting the policy makers and implementers in the design and implementation of policy measures that support the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). Blanca detailed the desk research work carried out and which has resulted in several policy briefs as well as the findings in the analysis of the Use Cases, the selected practical CSAs and their support in policies such as the CAP.
4. The Joint Research Centre’s classification of farm practices for CAP interventions.
5. Smart farm practices and innovation collected by the EIP-AGRI.

Following the five presentations, participants were split into two working groups to focus on the question: what specific policy measures can be proposed to address the identified needs for facilitating the transition to Climate-Smart Agriculture, with an emphasis on long-term perspectives, technical support, and marketing support.

The results of the discussion have been integrated into a Highlights Report and AEIDL will continue working on a first set of policy recommendations.

In closing the event Serafin Pazos-Vidal (AEIDL) thanked the audience and reminded the calendar for the next workshops:

• 2^nd Workshop: design of policy recommendations linked to CSA for 2030 and 2040 (4th Quarter 2024)
• 3^rd Workshop: validation and design of policy tools for CSA transition (1st Quarter 2025)
• 4^th Workshop: discussion and validation of project behavioural knowledge and replicability of the approaches generated (4th Quarter 2025)

See agenda, presentations and recordings here.

AEIDL is forming an EU multi-actor group with experience in CSA or related topics, as well as specific experience in policy design, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation linked to agriculture and food. Do you want to be part? > Contact Blanca Casares (bca@aeidl.eu)