GrassWise · Grassland Resilience and Adaptation through Sustainability and Science, With Inclusive Stakeholder Engagement

Grasslands cover 34% of the EU’s agricultural area, yet their vital contributions to food production and ecosystem services (ES) remain undervalued. Grassland ecosystems convert forages into nutrient-dense food through grazing ruminants, while delivering key ESs including carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, water purification, soil erosion control, and cultural heritage, particularly on land unsuitable for cropping. Despite their importance, European grasslands and grazing systems are in decline, driven by intensification, land-use change, abandonment, soil degradation, and climate change. Substantial investment through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including eco-schemes and Agri-Environment-Climate Measures, has not reversed these trends. A major barrier is the lack of a coherent framework to manage grasslands for their full multifunctionality. Grassland data is fragmented, metrics are outdated, and integrated assessment tools are limited. GrassWise aims to close this gap by generating harmonised data across Europe’s 9 pedoclimatic zones through Partner Farm Networks, Earth Observation, and legacy datasets. Through a Multi-Actor Approach, it will co-create next-generation decision-support tools at farm and landscape-levels. These tools will help farmers benchmark multifunctionality and adapt profitable, low-emission practices aligned with the EU Agri Sustainability Compass. The project will equip policymakers with robust, evidence-based insights to refine CAP instruments in line with the European Green Deal, Biodiversity Strategy, Organic Farming Action Plan, and Nature Restoration Regulation. GrassWise will deliver new and practical innovations to enhance productivity, feed quality, nutrient use efficiency, biodiversity, and other ESs such as soil stability and moisture retention. GrassWise is ambitious, action-ready, grounded in real farming practice, transdisciplinary in design and aligned with the EU’s sustainability goals.