On 10 March 2026, partners of the Climate Smart Research project gathered for the Online Annual Meeting, bringing together over 60 participants from across Europe to review project progress, exchange ideas, and plan the next steps in advancing climate-smart agriculture research.
The meeting opened with a welcome session, an overview of the main activities and results achieved so far and a presentation of the project’s plans for 2026, setting the stage for discussions on how CSR can strengthen climate-smart agriculture research and support the transition towards climate-neutral farming systems.
As linking research and practical farming solutions is one of the key driving forces of the project, this topic was high on the agenda of the meeting. Participants discussed what farmers and agricultural advisors need most from scientific research and reflected on a priority list of emerging adaptation and mitigation practices identified through collaboration with sister projects ClimateFarmDemo and Climate Smart Advisors.
Another important session focused on the CSR Research Framework, recently published as Deliverable D1.1. This framework will guide how climate-smart agriculture is understood, studied, and applied throughout the project. During the session, participants reviewed existing evidence on climate-smart agriculture practices and discussed the potential trade-offs and synergies of climate adaptation and mitigation measures.
Partners also received inspiration from the ClieNFarms – a project focusing primarily on climate change mitigation in agriculture. The presentation highlighted the project’s Catalogue of Climate Solutions for European Livestock and Arable Farms – an open-access, evidence-based repository of more than 30 climate-smart technical and financial measures designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration on European farms.
The meeting also included a session on bringing climate-smart research into practice, highlighting how CSR aims to translate research findings into Practice Abstracts, tools that present key findings from the project in a format accessible to practitioners. Practice abstracts summaries project results in a clear and concise way, helping farmers and agricultural advisors apply climate-smart solutions in practice.
Through discussions and interactive sessions, participants brainstormed challenges and innovative solutions being explored at the PioneERS, and received updates on ongoing and upcoming project surveys. These surveys collect input from PioneERS, InnovatERS and other partners to better understand needs emerging from practice and help shape project activities for greater impact.
The meeting concluded with practical guidance on CSR project management procedures aimed at supporting smooth project implementation and ensuring that all partners are aligned in working towards the project’s objectives. With the next phase of activities ahead, the consortium continues its joint effort to generate knowledge and solutions supporting climate-neutral agriculture across Europe.
