Incentivising systemic and climate-resilient farming approaches through rewarding mechanisms

Summary

The post-2027 CAP should provide income-positive payments that go beyond covering conversion and maintenance of organic farming, fully recognising and rewarding the broader public goods delivered by systemic farming approaches, overcoming restrictive interpretations of “costs incurred, income foregone” and “no double funding” rules that currently limit incentives for farmers to deliver additional sustainability outcomes. The CRCF Regulation should incentivise and reward systemic approaches like organic farming, by recognising their long-standing and sustainable soil-carbon stewardship, reduced reliance on synthetic inputs, and broader sustainability contributions, backed by strong criteria that drive durable climate and environmental gains. Advisory services and knowledge infrastructure are core enablers of systemic farming systems and remain an undervalued support mechanism. They should be strategically strengthened under the post-2027 CAP to maximise their contribution to systemic and climate-resilient agriculture.