News | 17 Sep 2025

From Accountancy to Sustainability: 60 Years of Farm Data

A special event on 17 October will explore the past, present & future of farm data, as FADN evolves into the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN).

Farmer in a field FADN main visual

The European Commission invites you to a public conference in Brussels on 17 October 2025 to celebrate 60 years of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Over the decades, FADN has played a central role in monitoring, evaluating and shaping the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) through analysis and modelling of the economic performance of EU commercial farms. As FADN evolves into the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN), this system is already broadening its scope to include environmental and social data, allowing a comprehensive assessment of the CAP and EU agriculture along all sustainability objectives, helping to ensure the CAP remains responsive to new challenges and opportunities.

Registration is mandatory for in-person participation and can be done via this registration form.

For online participation, no registration is required. A web streaming link will be published closer to the event date.

Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN)

Equipping farmers with detailed insights into their production practices, the Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) has immense potential to improve the understanding and implementation of the CAP.

FSDN aligns with (and contributes to) policy priorities enshrined in the Competitiveness Compass and Vision for Agriculture and Food. These reflect the latest EU intelligence and rely on data-led decision-making to help steer effective EU actions that have a factual basis. Quantifiable evidence of agri-food competitiveness is essential for transparent and accountable governance of farming systems. Common data systems are also encouraged as a shared medium to strengthen relationships between stakeholders involved with agri-food competitiveness.

The FSDN has been in focus in a series of recent events and publications by the EU CAP Network. This included a dedicated workshop held in Brussels in spring 2025. We invite you to learn more by exploring the resources linked at the bottom of this page and through our Resources section.