Shaping the transition to Climate-Smart Agriculture through multi-actor policy dialogue

Shaping the transition to Climate-Smart Agriculture through multi-actor policy dialogue

As the EU moves forward with its Vision for Agriculture and Food, the BEATLES Horizon Europe project, which stands for Behavioural Change Towards Climate-Smart Agriculture, has been fostering critical discussions across Europe. Through a series of European multi-actor working group workshops, the European Association for Innovation in Local Development (AEIDL), which leads the work package on transition through policy recommendations and tools, has brought together policymakers, researchers, advisors, and other stakeholders for meaningful discussions on the policy frameworks needed to support the shift to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA).

AEIDL is coordinating the EU multi-actor working group in which it brings together leading EU policymakers, practitioners and experts from inside and outside the project. It is turning the evidence gathered from the BEATLES research into actionable EU policy recommendations to incorporate climate-smart practices into EU policies, particularly Agriculture and the next CAP. So far, the project has hosted three EU multi-actor workshops, engaging over 120 participants from 21 Member States to strengthen Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices across EU agriculture.

Understanding Climate-Smart Agriculture

Since the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) introduced the concept of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) at the 2010 Hague Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change, there has been growing support at international and national levels for this approach.

Climate-Smart Agriculture is an approach that provides a roadmap to sustainable agricultural development. CSA is an integrated approach for developing agricultural strategies to address the interlinked challenges of economic viability, food security, and climate change, aiming to achieve three objectives: (i) sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes; (ii) adapting and building resilience to climate change and (iii) reducing and/or removing greenhouse gas emissions.

A collaborative process

In May 2024, the first working group workshop laid the groundwork for shaping future agricultural policy. Taking place in the context of the European Commission’s proposal for CAP simplification, the launch of the Strategic Dialogue on the future of EU agriculture, and the early stages of the debate on the post-2027 CAP, the workshop aimed to present, discuss and validate the project’s policy findings developed at national and European levels. The session featured key external speakers, such as Gijs Schilthuis (DG AGRI) on EU policy perspectives for agriculture, Irene Guerrero (Joint Research Centre) on the classification of farm practices for CAP interventions, and Iiri Raa (EIP-AGRI) discussing smart farm practices and innovation.

See the full report here.

In January 2025, the second workshop raised the bar. Using a policy hackathon format, experts worked on two central challenges: how to better support farmers in adopting climate-smart practices at the farm level, and how to help policymakers design and implement public policies that effectively promote CSA. This session, hosted by Ricard Ramon i Sumoy from the European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI), provided key insights into the EU agricultural policy landscape, offering a vision and preparation for the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The main outcomes highlighted the need for stronger policy coherence, a results-based approach, and the integration of nature-based solutions into the CAP. Participants also emphasised the importance of improved sustainability metrics, a stronger role for advisors and AKIS, the creation of long-term eco-schemes, and targeted support for small farms. Other priorities included skills development, support for young farmers, and better connections between producers and consumers.

See the full report here.

In May 2025, the third working group workshop took place, focusing on the concept of fairness in EU policy. Building on the progress made so far in the project, the workshop brought together perspectives from stakeholders across European institutions and insights from experts consulted throughout the process. Participants discussed the challenges and opportunities of applying the principle of fairness across different policy dimensions.

The session involved contributions from Jesús Barreiro-Hurle (JRC European Commission) on behavioural insights in policymaking; Michiel van Galen (Wageningen University & Research), who presented a portfolio of fair value propositions; Florian Marian (European Economic and Social Committee), who discussed a just transition for sustainable EU agri-food systems; and Blanca Casares (AEIDL), who explored the notion of fairness in EU policies and presented the findings so far.

See the full report here.

What’s next?

From 2023, AEIDL has been working closely with partners from 5 pilot regions in five Member States (Lithuania, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Netherlands), examining the policy support of the five value chains (wheat, dairy, organic apple, pig sector, onions and potatoes) and its compliance with selected CSA practices.

The analysis involved screening the CAP Strategic Plans of five countries, while also identifying relevant public support instruments beyond CAP. This work was carried out collaboratively between AEIDL and the Use Case leaders, with additional input from external stakeholders (Managing Authorities, Paying Agencies, and advisors) through interviews and an online consultation.

The results of this analysis, along with the comprehensive set of eco-schemes, sectoral interventions, agri-environment and climate commitments, and investment interventions supporting these CSA practices, will soon be available to guide and inspire Member States in the design of the upcoming CAP programming round.

In 2026, AEIDL will organise a fourth online EU multi-actor working group workshop to present, discuss, and validate the project’s behavioural insights and tools. The outcomes of this workshop will help AEIDL finalise the set of policy recommendations, along with the policy toolkit.

For more information, or to participate, contact Blanca Casares at bca@aeidl.eu.