Carbon Farming Initiatives and Climate-neutral Farming Practices in Central and Eastern Europe

Agriculture in CEE is set to experience losses in wheat production, while peatlands are expected to shrink, potentially becoming carbon sources at a 3°C warming level. As such, not only economic losses and damages are set to significantly increase in CEE, but the current and planned adaptation measures are not sufficient to avoid the residual risk, especially beyond 1.5°C. This residual risk can result in losses of habitat and ecosystem services, heat-related deaths, crop failures, water rationing during droughts in Southern Europe, and loss of land. This setting is one representing simultaneous risks to the region, from that of breadbasket failures to that of trade restrictions. And, overall, concerning horizons regarding food supply and, in short, food security — expanding towards and expanded from the rest of the globe.

That considered, it is critical to see some of the current CEE initiatives related to carbon farming and climate-neutral farming practices to see the steps towards achieving regional resilience, as well as to see where improvements can be pursued towards the same goal. The selected initiatives, spanning research projects, practical implementations, and governance structures, reveal both promising approaches and persistent gaps in the region’s preparation for climate impacts, while also showing emerging pathways for successful scaling of resilient agricultural practices.