Online workshop on Farm Advisory Systems support on nitrogen pollution reduction

The European Green Deal resets the Commission’s commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges. It sets out a new, ambitious focus on the environment. In follow-up to the Green Deal, the Commission adopted the Zero pollution action plan for water, air and soil.

At the same time, the new common agricultural policy for 2023-2027 has stepped up the green ambition and links more closely the agricultural policy to climate and environmental legislation. The current work on national CAP strategic plans indicate an increased focus on pollution reduction via both pillars, notably in the design of eco-schemes.

For the agricultural sector, a main pollutant to address is nitrogen in its various forms, and their impact on air and water quality. To efficiently reduce nitrogen pollution, legislation can be complemented with other measures. Farmers may need support to be able to implement measures and contribute to the zero pollution ambition.

When it comes to knowledge support, the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and the Farm Advisory Systems (FAS) play an important role. Recently, the AKIS has been thoroughly evaluated from an overall perspective. With the adoption of the Zero pollution action plan and the new green architecture or the CAP 2023-2027, additional information is however needed on the specific advice given on nitrogen pollution reduction.