Climate Smart Research

PioneERS

Advancing resilient, climate-smart agriculture through CSF system testing

10 Pioneering Experimental Research Stations (PioneERS) have been selected from a wide network of research farms across Europe and New Zealand.

These stations were chosen for their systemic research approach and their ability to represent plant, animal, and mixed farming production systems in real-world conditions.

Across the 10 PioneERS, agricultural components are designed to interact and operate synergistically at the whole-farm level. This holistic perspective views each farm as an interconnected system in which changes in one area influence the entire operation.

This integrated approach supports both mitigation and adaptation efforts, enabling PioneERS to optimize farm management, strengthen resilience, improve food security, and contribute meaningfully to climate change mitigation.

Research Station 1

Poland

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • Experimental research station with different livestock (dairy, beef, sheep) and cropping systems (905 ha)
  • Capacity to measure and account GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 2

Leeds University, United Kingdom

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • National pig research center with experimental pig farm (sows, piglets) and cropping systems (300 ha)
  • Experimental activities on crops and livestock
  • Capacity to measure and account GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 3

WR Institute, The Netherlands

  • Type: Arable & Horticulture Cropping
  • Experimental research station with several arable farming systems (1100 ha)
  • Experimental systems within agroecology, agroforestry and renewable energy
  • Capacity to measure carbon and nitrogen flows and account GHG emissions at cropping system scale

Research Station 4

New Zealand

  • Type: Animal Husbandry
  • Experimental research station in dairy cattle comparing current and future systems to reduce emissions (110 ha)
  • Capacity to model or measure carbon and nitrogen flows capacity to measure and model GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 5

Czechia

  • Type: Arable & Horticulture Cropping
  • Experimental research station comparing different arable farming systems (tillage, regenerative farming, organic fertilization) (100 ha)
  • Capacity to measure GHG emissions at cropping system scale

Research Station 6

Finland

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • Experimental research station with beef cattle and cropping systems (70 ha) with experimental research on legume-based grasslands, wetlands and cattle feeding
  • Capacity to measure and model GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 7

Denmark

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • Experimental research station with several farming systems: arable, mixed and livestock (dairy, pig) and long-term experiments covering both conventional and organic systems
  • Capacity to measure and model GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 8

Italy

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • Experimental research station for pig farming with associated arable crops for feed and food (200 ha)
  • Capacity to measure carbon and nitrogen flows and account GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 9

IDELE Institute, France

  • Type: Animal Husbandry
  • Experimental research farm with low emission dairy farming (45 ha)
  • Capacity to measure and model GHG emissions at farm scale

Research Station 10

Belgium

  • Type: Mixed Farming
  • Experimental research farm (25 ha) comparing three mixed crop-livestock (beef from dairy) farming systems with various levels of crops
  • Capacity to measure GHG emissions from cattle and manure storage and model GHG emissions at farm scale
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