How to better integrate soil management practices into climate change adaptation strategies

CLIMASOMA’s aims include identifying and summarizing the socio-economic and political barriers and incentives for the application of soil and crop management in climate adaptation strategies.

The results presented are from a stock-take of EU policies and their instruments that impact agricultural management and barriers and drivers at the farm level in relation to improving soil health and climate change adaptation.

The work includes perceptions of barriers and drivers that co-determine the willingness of farmers to act and adapt to climate change.

Soil and crop management practices for climate adaptatoin

Soil management and cropping systems enhancing soil structure are key to support the sustainable adaptation of EU agriculture to climate change.

The occurrence of extreme weather events, such as drought in summer and floods in winter, will increase almost everywhere in the EU.

Guidance on management practices to help farmers adapt to these situations is necessary. Many practices exist and have already been subject to scientific research for several decades.

Nevertheless, it is not always clear which practices have really proven effective in which contexts, what trade-offs have to be taken into account and which synergies might occur.