Two years after its launch, MARVIC reached the midpoint of its journey last May, offering a valuable opportunity to reflect on the goals achieved so far and the challenges that lie ahead. These were the main objectives of the annual General Assembly held from May 26 to 28, 2025, in Aarhus, Denmark, where more than 40 MARVIC experts participated. The meeting, organised by partners from Aarhus University with support from ILVO, the project coordinator, spanned three eventful days filled with general presentations, focused breakout sessions, and lively coffee breaks and shared meals, as well as two field visits in the region.
During the event, MARVIC partners explored how the project is advancing on the integration of data sources, models, and remote sensing into quantification approaches to develop a context-specific, harmonised Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework for assessing soil carbon stock changes and greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. The team also discussed the progress on the evaluation of the mitigation potential and climate impact of various carbon farming practices, alongside considerations of user preferences, such as financial instruments and policy needs, and the trade-offs between cost and accuracy in MRV systems.
In addition, the team visited a SmartField Supersite test facility near Aarhus to learn about their ongoing efforts to reduce Denmark’s agriculture-related nitrous oxide emissions, as well as the work done on testing and validating technologies and field management practices. A nearby restored wetland site was also visited, where discussions were held with a local government representative about the measures currently being implemented in the region.
In the coming months, MARVIC experts will continue developing a draft MRV framework, which will later feed the project’s 26 test cases for further testing and validation. The experiences gathered from these sites will be crucial in identifying the most suitable and feasible methodologies for each specific agricultural activity within different regions or countries, taking into account pedo-climatic zones, farm sizes, infrastructure, and data availability. Ultimately, all these elements will be integrated into a practical MRV framework designed to help practitioners make informed decisions based on guidelines, supporting tools, and decision trees.
Watch the video below to learn more about MARVIC’s journey and our annual General Assembly in Denmark.
