Initial approach to monitoring reporting and verification (MRV) of agroforestry carbon farming in the EU

Policy Briefing #20 (v5) updates the previous version (25.8.25) in response to the DGCLIMA public consultation on the draft Carbon Farming Delegated Act (22.1.26 - 19.2.26).

Comments are provided on definitions, scope, baselines, additionality, sustainability, monitoring tools, permanence, and geospatial coordinates of agroforestry.  A standard typology of 8 agroforestry and 30 carbon-farming practices is given.

We welcome re-wording of the “tree planting” methodology as “afforestation", since this will avoid confusion with agroforestry.

It is important that CRCF methodologies match those used by Member States in their annual reporting of greenhouse gas emissions to the UNFCCC, and use the most accurate parcel-based reporting possible.  The Commission is therefore asked to urge Member States to meet their commitments to provide open access to anonymised IACS geospatial information on agricultural parcels and land use, and in particular to comply with the open API requirements of the High Values Dataset Implementing Regulation (2023).

Member States should also move their GHG reporting to true “wall to wall” identification of both agricultural and forestry parcels: facilitating future exchange of information between LULUCF and CRCF carbon farming reporting.

Background and justification for the "Standard List of Carbon Farming Practices" is provided here as Annex 1.