How do you turn carbon farming from policy into practice? You bring together farmers, researchers, innovators, and local champions and get to work.
This summer, Smart Carbon Farming partners gathered in Arnhem for a week of site visits, strategy sessions, and stakeholder exchange. Hosted by Oost NL, the meeting marked the fifth in-person gathering of project partners, with a strong focus on aligning our work across North-West Europe and engaging deeply with the Dutch carbon farming ecosystem.
The week offered an inspiring reminder of how diverse knowledge, shared goals, and local innovation can come together to advance practical, credible, and inclusive carbon farming solutions.
Soil Valley: Innovation from the Ground Up
One highlight was our visit to Soil Valley, a growing innovation ecosystem launched by Royal Eijkelkamp at their InnoFields site. We explored how Soil Valley connects research, technology, education, and policy to drive soil and water system transformation. Partners saw first-hand how soil health monitoring, carbon data infrastructure, and applied research are powering regenerative agriculture and how this living lab model can inspire transition across Europe.
Connecting with Farmers and Technology in the Field
During field visits to Eikenhorst Farm and other regional pilots, partners witnessed how data-driven soil management and climate-smart practices are already being implemented on the ground. These visits helped anchor our shared work in real farming contexts where soil carbon storage, biodiversity, and resilience come together with practical constraints and business models.
Stakeholder Advisory Committee: Shared Challenges, Shared Solutions
The week also featured a productive session with our Stakeholder Advisory Committee, which brought together experts from across the carbon farming value chain. Discussions ranged from farmer bottlenecks and MRV innovation to market development and CRCF alignment. Crucially, the session surfaced new collaboration opportunities, with Wageningen University & Research (WUR) on MRV methodologies, with Klim and RegenStudios on match-making, and with a group of leaders committed to shared data infrastructure.
Key Messages Going Forward
Across the week, several core themes stood out:
- Keep local, people-driven initiatives visible and viable. As EU frameworks like CRCF evolve, we must ensure smaller projects aren’t pushed out by complexity or cost.
- Support farmers with reliable incentives, accessible MRV, and policy clarity. Carbon farming only works if it works for the farmer.
- Strengthen open collaboration across the value chain. From farmers to buyers to policymakers, shared learning and data are key.
With strong energy in the room and promising collaboration pathways emerging, the Arnhem meeting showed that Smart Carbon Farming is a growing movement grounded in real practice and shared ambition.
Stay tuned for more updates, pilot stories, and partner highlights as we continue building the future of carbon farming together.
