As the European Union accelerates its transition toward climate neutrality, farmers and foresters increasingly find themselves at the center of the discussion. Their lands – our fields and forests – hold some of the strongest potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere. But how will this potential be measured, certified, and rewarded? And what does the new EU Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) mean in practice for Lithuania and the wider Baltic region?
These were the driving questions behind the international initiative GFarm for Life, which hosted a dynamic panel discussion titled “Carbon Credits in Agriculture and Forestry: From Brussels to Lithuanian Fields.” The event brought together EU experts, national policymakers, and practitioners navigating the rapidly evolving carbon farming landscape.
Setting the Scene: EU Pathway to Climate Neutrality
The keynote presentation was delivered by Christian Holzleitner, Head of Unit for Land Economy and Carbon Removals at the European Commission’s DG CLIMA. His intervention provided clarity on where Europe stands today – and where it aims to be within the next three crucial years.
Ch. Holzleitner outlined the EU’s pathway to climate neutrality, highlighting the essential contribution of carbon removals and the need for robust, science-based certification. Under the CRCF Regulation, Europe is laying the groundwork for a transparent system that can reliably measure and verify carbon removals generated by farmers, foresters, and landowners. A few priorities stood out from his presentation:
- Launching the EU market for carbon farming credits – a structure that will allow farmers and foresters to voluntarily enter the system and generate certified credits.
- Diversifying demand – not only from food and biomass processors within the value chain, but also from actors outside it, such as corporate buyers committed to net-zero targets.
- The emergence of the EU Buyers’ Club – an initiative expected to create coordinated, trustworthy demand for high-quality carbon removal credits.
- Clearer guidance coming soon – with the next three years set to define methodologies, monitoring rules, and operational models for large-scale adoption.
Together, these developments signal that carbon farming is shifting from experimental projects to a structured and regulated market opportunity.
A Regional Conversation With European Relevance
Following the keynote, an outstanding panel of experts explored how these European developments translate into national policies and concrete actions on the ground. The panel brought together: Tomas Orlickas – National Paying Agency (Lithuania), Krystyna Springer – Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Rovena Grikienė – Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, Algis Gaizutis – Forest and Land Owners Association of Lithuania (FOAL), Diāna Līva – Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Latvia, Eimantas Pranauskas – Lithuanian Association of Agricultural Companies. Moderated by: Romualdas Lapickis (AgriFood Lithuania)
The conversation surfaced a shared understanding: carbon farming and removals offer significant environmental and economic opportunities, but only with clear rules, effective monitoring, and stable incentives. Among the key themes discussed were:
- How national administrations are preparing to implement the CRCF framework.
- The readiness of farmers and foresters to participate in voluntary carbon markets.
- The importance of building trust: transparency, verification, and long-term certainty for credit buyers.
- The unique Baltic perspective, including cross-border collaboration and shared ecosystem challenges.
Why This Discussion Matters
Carbon farming is more than a policy tool—it is becoming a new economic activity that can reward land managers for practices that enhance soil health, increase carbon sequestration, and support biodiversity.
For Lithuania and neighboring countries, this shift offers both opportunities and responsibilities: Opportunities to attract investment, strengthen rural economies, diversify farm income, and scale nature-based solutions. Responsibilities to ensure land practices are sustainable, measurable, and aligned with broader climate objectives.
The GFarm for Life discussion highlighted that success will rely on cooperation across sectors—policy, science, farming communities, and industry.
Moving Forward
As Europe enters a new phase of climate action, the agriculture and forestry sectors have a chance to lead. With the CRCF Regulation setting the rules, and demand for carbon removals growing rapidly, farmers and foresters can become essential partners in delivering climate neutrality. Events like this one – bridging Brussels and Lithuanian fields – play a crucial role in ensuring that the transition is informed, inclusive, and grounded in real-world experiences.
