Deadline: 12-Apr-23
The European Commission (EC) has announced the proposals for the Pilot Network of Climate-Positive Organic Farms.
Scope
The conservation and enhancement of Earth’s natural terrestrial carbon sinks such as soils and plants, forests, farmed lands and wetlands is crucial. The European Green Deal gives research and innovation (R&I) a significant role to play in supporting the design and implementation of policies that will ensure the achievement of the EU’s climate objectives. Organic farming relies on management practices that contribute to climate change mitigation, with additional benefits for the environment and biodiversity. The organic sector also has a role to play in the implementation of the EU carbon farming initiative as developed in the 2021 Communication on “Sustainable Carbon Cycles”.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
- This topic should contribute to mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and help achieve climate-neutrality by 2035 (in the land-use sector) and 2050 (across the EU economy). It will also contribute to meeting the target of the farm to fork strategy of having 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030, as well as to implementing concrete actions of the action plan for the development of organic production.
- Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- The capacity of organic holdings to mitigate and adapt to climate change is enhanced, with co-benefits for biodiversity, water, soil and air;
- Qualitative and quantitative data on the climate-related and other (co-)benefits and impacts of organic production are made more easily accessible, contributing to building the knowledge base for EU policy design and implementation and to increasing consumer awareness of the benefits of organic production;
- Carbon farming practices (as described in the Communication on “Sustainable Carbon Cycles”) are further developed in the organic farming sector;
- Agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) and decision-support systems in the organic sector are strengthened, in particular with regard to climate adaptation and mitigation.
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions,
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States,
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- the following low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.