CSQA participated in the interviews of the Report "Challenges and opportunities in data collection for sustainable agriculture: lessons from EU certification systems" , a publication of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the science and knowledge service of the European Commission.
This Report analyses the farm-level data collection practices of selected public and private sustainability certification schemes, with the aim of providing insights into synergies and gaps for the upcoming Farm Sustainability Data Network, which will collect data on environmental and social issues.
The analysis is based on online surveys, semi-structured interviews and desk research conducted between June and October 2023.
Of 188 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) interventions associated with certification schemes in Member States' CAP strategic plans, 25 were pre-selected for consideration in this report.
A total of 10 respondents (i.e. certification bodies and, in some cases, responsible public authorities) participated, covering 16 certification schemes , with response rates of 48% for respondents and 64% for certification schemes.
The main results concern:
- operator monitoring practices by certification bodies,
- data collection methods ,
- data sources ,
- data management practices ,
- data exchange
- the costs incurred.
The main challenges and burdens of the data collection process identified by the interviewees are also outlined.
The analysis indicates that, although data on environmental and social sustainability are available, considerable efforts are needed to collect quantitative data and ensure that they are consistent, digitised and accessible.
The voluntary nature of participation in certification schemes limits the representativeness of the data collected . Furthermore, increasing farmers' understanding of the purpose and benefits of data collection is essential to motivate farmers.
Providing incentives and partnering with organizations that have direct contact with farmers can increase farmers’ willingness to participate.
Source:
European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Antonioli, F., Isbasoiu, A., Ciaian, P., Tur Cardona, J. and Fellmann, T., Challenges and opportunities in data collection for sustainable agriculture: Lessons from EU certification schemes, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2024, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/036505 , JRC138225.