[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":89},["ShallowReactive",2],{"pages-686bce2850b71cc505088e16":3},{"_id":4,"state":5,"name":6,"category":7,"theme":8,"components":9,"keywords":82},"686bce2850b71cc505088e16","active","Transition fund for farmers","discover","european_food_system_dashboard",[10,21,30,37,44,51,58,64],{"type":11,"index":12,"variation":13,"imageURL":14,"title":15,"description":16,"button":18},"header",0,"image_left","https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/8acbb2a1-7483-43c5-a3c4-5f587e5f3010",{"en_GB":6},{"en_GB":17},"- Food system activity: Production\n- Governance level: European\n- Cluster: Social equity, economic and community support\n- Origin: EU\n- Type of policy intervention: Financial",{"label":19,"URL":20},{"en_GB":20},"",{"type":22,"index":23,"variation":24,"imageURL":25,"title":26,"description":28},"image_and_text",1,"image_right","https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/1c0aace6-2325-4a53-96d6-5d50235b85c7",{"en_GB":27},"Intervention Details",{"en_GB":29},"This intervention suggests that the EU puts forward a transition fund for rewarding farmers who work with nature. It was put forward in the EU-level policy summit, where it more specifically was proposed to develop financial schemes targeted towards implementing nature-based solutions in farms, such as agroforestry, agroecology, cover cropping, wetland restoration, and reduced chemical input farming, and with particular support for small and medium farms. By linking environmental performance with financial support, the fund would aim to improve biodiversity, soil health, and climate resilience while ensuring economic viability for farmers transitioning to more sustainable models. \n",{"type":31,"index":32,"variation":33,"imageURL":20,"title":34,"description":35},"title_and_text",2,"title_image_description",{"en_GB":20},{"en_GB":36},"This approach complements calls for fairer Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) spending aligned with environmental outcomes (Pe’er et al., 2020). The current CAP framework continues to favour larger, conventional operations, thereby creating systemic barriers for small farms to access agri-environmental payments and fully participate in the EU’s sustainability transition (Alessandrini et al., 2024).  Smallholder farms, which constitute about two thirds of farms in the EU, lack the structural support needed to adopt nature-based solutions under the new CAP, underscoring the necessity of a dedicated transition fund that prioritises smaller farms engaging in environmentally restorative practices. Although no dedicated EU transition fund currently exists, related mechanisms are gaining traction. The European Commission’s Nature Restoration Law, passed in 2023, mandates the restoration of 20% of EU land and sea by 2030, including provisions relevant to farmland (European Union, 2024). The CAP already contains instruments such as eco-schemes and Agri-Environment-Climate Measures (AECMs), which can fund nature-based practices, but implementation and uptake vary greatly among member states. Moreover, some national governments, for instance Germany (Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, 2023), have piloted nature-based solutions financing initiatives, and more than one third (37%) of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility is intended for the green transition in general (Selnes et al., 2025).",{"type":22,"index":38,"variation":13,"imageURL":39,"title":40,"description":42},3,"https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/c32b40e5-d2c2-44bb-a1ed-0e0d2ba39795",{"en_GB":41},"Examples of implementation",{"en_GB":43},"Still, no coordinated EU-level transition fund has yet been introduced that explicitly prioritizes smallholders and nature-based farming. ",{"type":22,"index":45,"variation":24,"imageURL":46,"title":47,"description":49},4,"https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/afec88ea-040b-4549-a51c-f75cc9a63be5",{"en_GB":48},"Key implementation challenges",{"en_GB":50},"Establishing such a transition fund would require strong alignment across EU, national, and regional governance levels as well as long-term thinking. Moreover, clear criteria to define \"nature-based\" farming and monitor results are important, yet verifying nature-based outcomes (e.g. biodiversity gains or soil carbon improvements) is complex and administratively demanding. Resistance may come from entrenched interests benefiting from more conventional CAP allocations, especially in sectors reliant on intensive production. Finally, small farms, while intended beneficiaries, often lack capacity to navigate grant systems, requiring tailored advisory support and simplified application procedures (EU CAP Network, 2022). While there are evidently some barriers to overcome, a transition fund for in particular small and medium-sized farms could be very valuable to promote a more sustainable food system (Alessandrini et al., 2024). ",{"type":22,"index":52,"variation":13,"imageURL":53,"title":54,"description":56},5,"https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/b466ae36-722e-4837-9540-cd11b3d71ab9",{"en_GB":55},"Expert Evaluation",{"en_GB":57},"Experts rated the effectiveness of this policy intervention at an average of 3.39/5.00 (SD = 1.09), reflecting a moderately positive assessment (ranked 9th out of 20). Survey respondents emphasized that this intervention would be especially beneficial in supporting small and medium farmers, who often cannot afford changes in production technology and practices needed to transition to nature-based solutions. They also pointed out that this policy would help avoid social protests which have undermined past EU agri-environmental reforms and contribute to a healthier and more sustainable food supply. However, some experts expressed reservations, noting that consumer demand is crucial for accepting and implementing a sustainable transformation and that funds need to be linked to specific outcomes to avoid weak monitoring and lack of accountability. The average feasibility score was 3.77/5.00 (SD = 0.91), indicating a positive assessment and ranking 5th overall. Survey respondents argued the CAP could serve as a vehicle for a transition fund for farmers, although political resistance would likely be an important factor. Experts identified policy synergy with the intervention “bans and restrictions on hazardous pesticides”. ",{"type":31,"index":59,"variation":33,"imageURL":20,"title":60,"description":62},6,{"en_GB":61},"List of References",{"en_GB":63},"•\tAlessandrini, M., Alblas, E., Batten, L., & Bothé, S. (2024). Smallholder farms in the sustainable food transition: A critical examination of the new Common Agricultural Policy. *Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law*, 33(1), 124-135.\n \n•\tEuropean Union. (2024). Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on the monitoring, reporting and verification of CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption of heavy-duty vehicles, and amending Regulations (EU) 2018/956 and (EU) 2019/1242. *Official Journal of the European Union*. [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1991](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32024R1991) \n\n•\tEU CAP Network (2022). Policy Insights: Reinforcing small farm resilience. Retrieved from [https://eu-cap-network.ec.europa.eu/publications/policy-insights-reinforcing-small-farm-resilience_en#section--resources](https://eu-cap-network.ec.europa.eu/publications/policy-insights-reinforcing-small-farm-resilience_en#section--resources)\n \n•\tFederal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (2023) Federal action plan on nature-based solutions for climate and biodiversity. Retrieved from: [https://www.bundesumweltministerium.de/en/publication/federal-action-plan-on-nature-based-solution-for-climate-and-biodiversity](https://www.bundesumweltministerium.de/en/publication/federal-action-plan-on-nature-based-solution-for-climate-and-biodiversity) \n\n•\tPe'er, G., Zinngrebe, Y., Moreira, F., Sirami, C., Schindler, S., Müller, R., ... & Lakner, S. (2019). A greener path for the EU Common Agricultural Policy. *Science*, 365(6452), 449-451.\n \n•\tSelnes, T., van Alphen, M., de Haas, M. B. J., van Hattum, T., Makri-Makridou, N., van Rooij, S., Roosenschoon, O., & Sterk, M. (2025). Investing in nature-based solutions is future-proof and reduces financial risks. Wageningen University & Research. Retrieved on 31 July 2025, from [https://www.wur.nl/en/show-longread/investing-in-nature-based-solutions-is-future-proof-and-reduces-financial-risks.htm](https://www.wur.nl/en/show-longread/investing-in-nature-based-solutions-is-future-proof-and-reduces-financial-risks.htm) ",{"type":65,"index":66,"variation":67,"title":68,"contact1":70,"contact2":76,"contact3":79},"contacts",7,"title_top",{"en_GB":69},"CONTACT",{"imageURL":71,"name":72,"description":74},"https://planeateu.retool.com/api/file/771281e8-fca5-4ec7-a45c-0addca312f67",{"en_GB":73},"Jeroen Candel",{"en_GB":75},"Associate professor of food and agricultural policy​",{"imageURL":20,"name":77,"description":78},{"en_GB":20},{"en_GB":20},{"imageURL":20,"name":80,"description":81},{"en_GB":20},{"en_GB":20},[83,84,85,86,87,88],"production","social equity","economic and community support","EU","Financial","policy intervention",1776437178467]