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After three years of field trials across 20 demonstration sites, the EU-funded ClieNFarms project has shown that climate-neutral farming is achievable through systemic, nature-based innovation.

Launched in 2022 under the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, the initiative tested and scaled practical methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing soil health, biodiversity and water retention across diverse European farming systems – from Mediterranean olive groves to Atlantic dairy farms.

The project’s trials delivered measurable environmental improvements. In Belgium, sugar-beet growers reduced nitrogen use by 30-50% through precision fertiliser injection. Irish farms achieved up to 40% nitrogen savings by combining protected-urea fertilisers with white-clover pastures.

Meanwhile, in Portugal’s Alentejo region, introducing biodiverse strips between olive rows improved rainwater infiltration and reduced erosion, strengthening drought resilience.

“ClieNFarms shows that the solutions for climate-neutral farming already exist – what matters now is connecting them,” said Stelios Dritsas, project partner at EIT Climate-KIC, the EU’s climate-innovation initiative supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which has supported the project’s communication, training and cross-project collaboration.

“When farmers, scientists and policymakers work together, innovation becomes action and local change adds up to systemic impact,” Dritsas added.

Central to ClieNFarms is the Innovative Systemic Solution Space – a network of “living labs” where farmers, researchers, advisors and businesses co-develop locally tailored solutions.

The project’s first Policy Brief argues that climate neutrality in agriculture must consider soil health, biodiversity and water and nutrient cycles, rather than focusing solely on greenhouse-gas reductions.

To support broader adoption, the consortium has released two resources:

• a Scaling Toolbox to help stakeholders plan and adapt climate-neutral transitions; and

• a Catalogue of Climate Solutions featuring tested practices from demonstration sites across Europe.

The project also explored circular models for reducing waste and emissions.

In the UK, researchers trialled an N₂ slurry processor that converts animal manure into nutrient-rich fertiliser while preventing nitrogen losses. In Romania, feeding trials using oilseed by-products reduced methane emissions from small ruminants by up to 15% and improved milk quality.

In France, near-permanent soil cover between crops showed low-input systems can sustain productivity while cutting fertiliser dependence and building soil organic matter.