OG CLIMALACT. Development of Sustainability Protocols and Indicators for the “CLIMALACT” Brand 

CLIMALACT is a supra-regional Operational Group aimed at developing a sustainability and climate neutrality brand, the CLIMALACT brand, related to the milk production system in Asturias and Galicia. It considers a joint analysis of the farm and the value chain to select the best practices associated with different types of farms (intensive, semi-intensive, semi-extensive, and extensive) and value chains (short circuits, national, and international). 

These practices will be selected from existing ones through the application of technical improvements by evaluating their impact on the productive fabric, environment, and rural areas of the Galician and Asturian dairy sector. The evaluation of the overall impact of the selected practices will allow defining CLIMALACT brand idiotype farms linked to the different typologies and their respective value chains, with specific guidelines for sustainable management and climate neutrality. 

The ultimate goal of the project is to establish mechanisms that contribute to achieving the targets set in the European Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55%, reducing nutrient loss and herbicide use by around 50%, reducing fertilizer use by around 20%, increasing organic land management by 25% by 2030, and achieving climate neutrality by 2050. 

CLIMALACT’s main objective is the development of sustainability indicators linked to livestock farming practices associated with the CLIMALACT brand that guarantees sustainability and climate neutrality of dairy farms and their value chains. Specifically: 

• Characterization of management practices in the milk food chain based on the main types of farms and value chains in Asturias and Galicia. 

• Development of sustainable and climate-neutral models associated with the CLIMALACT brand. 

• Development of a software application to calculate the compliance index of the neutrality protocol and the conditions required to achieve the CLIMALACT brand. 

• Improvement in knowledge about climate neutrality based on information obtained through the project. 

Expected results of the CLIMALACT project: 

• Characterization of farm management models and logistics in milk value chains based on the selection of sustainable best practices that contribute to climate neutrality. 

• Selection of productive, environmental, and social sustainability indicators adapted to Asturias and Galicia that provide information to farmers and quantify their relevance for administrators. 

• Development of a climate neutrality measurement protocol linked to the CLIMALACT brand standards. 

• Development of a software application to calculate the degree of sustainability and neutrality of practices on farms and value chains, proposing improvement options to meet CLIMALACT brand requirements. 

• Preparation of a list of recommendations for the application of CAP measures associated with promoting land management and the value chain. 

Consult the project information brochure in: Spanish / English 

Check the project activities in: Spanish / English 

Operational Groups, key actors in implementing the EIP-Agri (European Innovation Partnership for productive and sustainable agriculture), are essential tools for executing the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAP SP) 2023-2027 to drive innovation in the agri-food and forestry sectors across Europe. These groups bring together stakeholders with common interests—farmers, livestock breeders, companies, research, training, and outreach centers—to launch innovation projects aimed at providing joint and multisectoral responses to problems or needs. 

This innovation project is framed within the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan (CAP SP) 2023-2027, funded 80% by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union and 20% by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA). The Directorate-General for Rural Development, Innovation, and Agri-food Training (DGDRIFA) is the authority responsible for implementing these grants.
Total project budget: €600,000.00  Total grant: €600,000.00