Towards scalable monitoring, reporting, verification and mitigation of non-CO₂ greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from land-based agricultural systems

Abstract

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄) are the main non-CO₂ greenhouse gases from agriculture, significantly contributing to the EU climate footprint. Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and implementing the EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming regulation requires robust farm-level solutions to reduce non-CO₂ GHGs and related air pollutants while ensuring effective monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). 

The project "MARVELA" will address these challenges by improving farm level monitoring methodologies, harmonizing data metrics, exploring effective mitigation strategies, and advancing practical knowledge that enable researchers, farmers and policymakers to act decisively. It develops, adapts and optimizes nine innovative tools, including low-cost sensors and model-based systems, for on-site measurement and proxy prediction of CH₄, N₂O, and ammonia (NH₃) emissions across five pedo-climatic zones. Tools are validated in 14 agricultural practices covering manure management, livestock feeding and grazing, and soil management. 

MARVELA reduces monitoring uncertainties, improves data usability, and refines the DATAMAN database to provide region-specific emission factors and support UNFCCC reporting. The project delivers an MRV toolkit and the MRVsphere platform as backbones to support training, outreach, and capacity building.

Project partners

• Universiteit Gent (UGent), Belgium

• Inagro, Belgium

• Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Netherlands

• Centre Tecnològic en Biodiversitat, Ecologia i Tecnologia Ambiental i Alimentària (CT BETA), Spain

• Teagasc – Agriculture and Food Development Authority, Ireland

• Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie (ATB), Germany

• Innolab, Belgium

• Nutrienten Management Instituut (NMI), Netherlands

• Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau (FiBL), Switzerland

• Frans Vervaet B.V., Netherlands

• Technische Universität Dortmund (TU Dortmund), Germany

• Impact vzw, Belgium

• Universitatea de Științe Agronomice și Medicină Veterinară din București (USAMV BUCUREȘTI), Romania

• Stichting Nutriënten Platform, Netherlands

• Acqua & Sole S.r.l., Italy

• Kunak Technologies S.L., Spain

FiBL project leader/ contact

• Bünemann-König Else (Department of Soil Sciences)

FiBL project staff

• Agostini Lucilla (Department of Soil Sciences)
• Leiber Florian (Department of Extension, Training & Communication)
• Mesbahi Geoffrey (Department of Livestock Sciences)

Role of FiBL

Project partner

Further information

• cordis.europa.eu: Project on the CORDIS website

Group/ Work area/ Location

• Advisory & Training (Department of Extension, Training & Communication, FiBL Switzerland)
• Animal Nutrition (Department of Livestock Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Nutrient Management & Symbiosis (Department of Soil Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Soil fertility & Climate (Department of Soil Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)

FiBL project number

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