EU CAP Network Workshop on Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) 

The Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN) is a new initiative launched by the European Commission to improve the collection and use of farm-level sustainability data across the EU. It builds upon the pre-existing Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) that has been the basis of economic and accounting information on EU farms for 60 years and aims to include more comprehensive data on environmental, social, and economic sustainability of farms. The FSDN will collect new information on several sustainability indicators, such as greenhouse gas emissions, nutrients, biodiversity, water management, labour, and market integration ^[1]. By capturing this more detailed data, the FSDN will support evidence-based policy decisions, contribute to the future EU benchmarking system, and help farmers adopt more sustainable practices aligning with their own goals and EU strategies including the Green Deal.

The FSDN will play a crucial role in monitoring and assessing the progress of the CAP towards sustainability goals. The FSDN is expected to provide valuable insights for national CAP Strategic Plans, offering the potential to tailor measures to the specific needs and sustainability challenges of each Member State’s (MSs) farming sector. This network will be a key resource for both policymakers and farmers, promoting transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in EU agriculture.

The transition from FADN to FSDN poses several challenges. Given that the participation is still voluntary, there is a critical need to bring farmers themselves on board, including by addressing concerns about the effort needed to compile the required information. It is also vital to harvest the opportunity derived from increased data sharing, harmonise data collection across MSs, and to ensure data accuracy and comparability. However, the broader data set promises to provide a more complete picture of the sustainability performance of EU farms.

The EU CAP Network, together with the European Commission (DG AGRI), is organising a one-day workshop in Brussels addressing FADN/FSDN liaison agencies, CAP managing authorities, FADN/FSDN data collectors, advisors, farmers and other stakeholders to support the transition from FADN to FSDN.

The aims of the workshop are to: