Countering climate change in agriculture

SOLMACC - an initiative on strategies for organic and low-input-farming to mitigate and adapt to climate change - is a LIFE-co-funded project that runs from 2013 to 2018. Its ambition is to demonstrate that by applying optimised farming practices organic farming can be climate-friendly. SOLMACC has now published their first newsletter.

Twelve demonstration farms are adjusting their farming techniques under the close supervision and monitoring of agricultural scientists. The project consortium has designed individual practices for each of the twelve farms, starting in autumn 2014. The initial situation in 2014 will be investigated (carbon sequestration, avoidance of CO² emissions) and compared to the results received in 2018. The practices to be applied are on-farm nutrient recycling, crop rotations, reduced tillage and agroforestry. The farms are situated in three different climatic regions and differ in production profiles. What unites all of them is that they are run by innovative and courageous farmers who are highly motivated to contribute to fighting climate change.
 

IFOAM EU, Ekologiska Lantbrukarna, AIAB, Bioland Beratung GmbH and FiBL all provide essential expertise to the project. In a meeting of the project steering committee of the SOLMACC in Freising, Germany, experiences and impressions from the first farm visits were shared and demonstrated that all farmers are highly committed to use their farms for the demonstration of climate friendly practices. More information is available from SOLMACC.