This practice abstract describes how advisory services can be strengthened to support climate-smart farming (CSF), based on insights from advisors in France, Ireland, Denmark, Croatia, Spain, Germany, Italy, Estonia, Greece, and the United Kingdom. It outlines a replicable approach to improve advisory capacity by integrating knowledge of resources, advisory methods, and coordination across advisory structures.
Advisory services can more effectively promote climate-smart farming by implementing a coordinated advisory model built on three pillars:
1. Develop a shared knowledge base for advisors and farmers
Create a central, easy-to-use resource that:
• provides hands-on descriptions of CSF practices across farm types
• provides access to research and routinely incorporates new findings
• offers transparent comparisons of climate calculation tools and guidance on how to interpret results
• This shared knowledge base can support advisory services at national level by ensuring consistent, accessible information for advisors and farmers.
2. Strengthen advisory approaches through skill development and interdisciplinary support
At regional level, advisory teams can strengthen their approaches and support farmers by:
• building communication and social skills needed to motivate behaviour change
• using interdisciplinary knowledge to provide holistic climate advice
• breaking climate-smart farming actions into small, achievable steps
• allocating time for follow-up and monitoring, ensuring commitment to agreed plans
3. Improve coordination across advisory structures and align with policy supports
At national and regional level, stronger coordination mechanisms can support advisors through:
• regular meetings, such as monthly Communities of Practice, to ensure common messaging and shared learning
• communication channels and local networks connecting advisors, farmers, and regional actors
• policy mechanisms that reward farmers for adopting climate-smart farming practices
Strengthening advisory services to better support climate-smart farming can be enhanced through existing advisory networks and digital platforms that provide shared knowledge resources, such as the farmingforclimate.eu platform. Although it does not currently include interactive exchange functions, it already serves as a valuable central source of information and a foundation for more coordinated knowledge sharing across advisory systems.
Collaboration between research, advisory services and policy actors is also important to ensure that climate-smart farming information remains current, practical and aligned with policy developments. Improving communication pathways between these actors will help build more robust and responsive advisory services.
Key challenges include limited advisor time for training, follow-up and coordination, as well as the coexistence of multiple climate calculation tools with differing methodologies, which can create confusion. Funding constraints and fragmented advisory structures may also hinder the development of interdisciplinary, farmer-focused climate advisory work.
Future progress would be supported by harmonising standards for climate calculation tools, expanding research on context-specific practices and piloting structured advisory workflows that combine communication skills, stepwise planning and regular follow-up. Strengthening local advisory networks and testing coordination models will help identify what best supports consistent, farmer-centred advice. Overall, coordinated and well-supported advisory practices, built on clear communication, shared knowledge and enabling policies such as funding for training, incentives and clarity on legal obligations, are essential to helping farmers adopt climate-smart practices in a practical and lasting way.
