LAMASUS
LAMASUS

Maximizing CAP impact: Advancing Climate, Biodiversity, and Farm Profitability Through Strategic Action

The LAMASUS project presents a policy brief based on cutting-edge land-use management data developed under the Horizon Europe programme. This analysis integrates biophysical crop and grass simulations, biodiversity models, and farm-level cost assessments to support strategic, impactful policymaking.

 

Why it matters

This policy brief offers spatially explicit evidence on trade-offs and opportunity costs associated with agricultural land management. This information helps policymakers target funding where it can deliver the greatest environmental return for climate, biodiversity, and farm viability.

A key output is the identification of win-win areas across Europe. In these regions, an annual €350 reduction in output per hectare through targeted, sustained de-intensification yields:

  • at least a 1 ton annual CO₂-equivalent emission reduction, and increases biodiversity intactness by at least 1% within a decade.

Access the policy brief

Key Messages

  • Strategic de-intensification on 7.0% of EU agricultural land—in win-win areas—could reduce agricultural emissions by 4.9%, equivalent to a total reduction of around 12 million tons of CO₂-equivalent per year.
  • Biodiversity can be measurably improved through land-use changes that benefit both ecosystems and long-term agricultural resilience.
  • Better targeting of CAP support is essential to realize these outcomes and remains a challenge for EU policy.

Methodology supplement

For transparency and replicability, a methodological supplement is available. It explains how estimates were calculated and outlines the approach used to identify win-win areas.

Access the methodology supplement

Accessing data

Please return to this page to access the win-win data and response functions directly (coming soon).