On 12 March 2026, the final conference of the Interreg Central Europe project Carbon Farming CE took place in Maribor, Slovenia, hosted by the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia as the project lead partner. The event brought together project partners, researchers, farmers, advisors, policymakers and representatives of related European initiatives to discuss the future of carbon farming and sustainable soil management in Central Europe.
The conference marked an important milestone in the project, presenting the main achievements of Carbon Farming CE and highlighting the role of carbon farming as a key approach to climate change mitigation and the resilience of agricultural systems. Participants learned about the results of testing carbon farming techniques and business models, as well as the development of practical tools, strategies and action plans aimed at supporting the wider uptake of carbon farming practices.
The programme featured contributions from project partners and external experts. A keynote lecture by Assoc. Prof. Nicola dal Ferro from the University of Padova presented data-driven modelling tools for assessing soil organic carbon, while representatives of the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food and the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme highlighted the importance of cooperation and policy support for the transition towards climate-smart agriculture. The conference also welcomed representatives of related European initiatives, including LIFE4ADAPT, SOIL and CARBONICA, who shared their experiences and approaches to climate adaptation, soil health and sustainable agricultural practices.
In the afternoon, participants visited the Infrastructure Centre Ptuj of the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, where they explored examples of applied agricultural research and innovative technologies supporting sustainable farming. The visit showcased several ongoing projects, including Robot4Plants, which focuses on agricultural digitalisation and advanced crop production technologies; PRIRAST, which promotes sustainable crop production and modern breeding approaches; and CircSyst, which explores circular economy solutions such as the use of treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation.
Participants also had the opportunity to observe advanced research equipment and technologies, including drones used for crop spraying and disease detection, soil sampling technologies and an autonomous tractor employed in field experiments.
The conference concluded with discussions on future opportunities for carbon farming in Central Europe and the importance of continued cooperation among researchers, advisors, farmers and policymakers. The results and tools developed within Carbon Farming CE provide a strong foundation for supporting sustainable soil management and increasing carbon sequestration in agricultural systems across the region.