SOFI – Smart Organic Food Initiative

According to the 2022 report of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agriculture is responsible for 26 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, if organic and more biodiverse with no usage of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, agriculture can become climate friendly. In Croatia, only 8.3 per cent of agricultural land is cultivated organically. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the agricultural sector is characterised by low productivity, insufficient technological equipment, dependence on imports, and little use of smart organic agricultural production. 

The majority of farmers and other actors along the food chain in Southeastern Europe are not aware of alternative, ecologically, and economically feasible ways of producing and consuming organic agricultural products. Though possessing much potential to shift its production towards organic food production, currently organic agriculture has no significant impact on overall agricultural production. Unleashing the potential of organic farming contributes to realising a new approach to climate action.

Savoy field in Croatia, Photo: ©UEZ

In accordance with national authorities in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina – such as the Ministries of Agriculture, Economy, Development, Education and Science – and farmers' associations, the project carried out educational and networking activities to increase the knowledge on agriculture's impact on climate change. As achieving climate neutrality was impossible without involving local agriculture, the project addressed producers like small farmers or landowners, consumers, and municipalities in the cities of Krizevci (Croatia) and Travnik (Bosnia and Herzegovina). By providing spaces of dialogue and education, the project helped them to create climate action plans for their cities. This included research on the impact of local agriculture and the potential of organic agriculture for having a positive impact on climate change and biodiversity. 

The project team used these climate action plans to incorporate the topic of smart organic production into local development strategies. Through the method of peer learning, the project’s network – consisting of municipalities, national organic farmers associations, producers, and consumers as well as academics and scholars – aimed at increasing awareness and calling for climate action in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also created a green education programme to be implemented in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which supported the development of climate-friendly agricultural businesses and family farms. To increase public knowledge on the topic and make data accessible, all project-related outputs – green education programmes, educational materials, financial indicators, and videos, among others – were made publicly available. Workshops, conferences, Eco Feria festivals, and the supporting website additionally disseminated information on sustainable food production.

• Climate action plans as a model for climate-friendly agriculture: In March 2025, Križevci was the first city in Croatia and the region to adopt a climate action plan (CAP) focussing on agriculture; Travnik followed shortly afterwards with its own CAP. Both plans serve as a model for how agricultural issues can be systematically integrated into local climate strategies in order to reduce GHG emissions and strengthen biodiversity. Over 40 printed copies were distributed to municipalities, administrations, farmers, NGOs, associations, libraries and citizens, making the plans widely usable locally. 
• Green Education Programme: Skills for climate-friendly agriculture: A Green Education Programme was developed and implemented as part of the project, in which 27 participants - including female farmers, students and landowners - took part. The programme combined theoretical knowledge with practical training on intelligent methods of organic farming and enabled participants to apply environmentally friendly farming methods and organise their farms to be more resilient to economic and climatic extremes. The Križevci University of Applied Sciences plans to establish the programme as a lifelong learning opportunity in the future. Three participants have already registered new companies on the basis of the programme. 
• Eco-festivals: raising awareness and networking stakeholders: SOFI organised eco-festivals in Križevci, which were attended by over 100 stakeholders - including farmers, consumers, businesses, local authorities, NGOs and citizens. With workshops, film screenings, expert presentations, exhibitions and discussion formats, the festivals promoted both engagement and awareness of the impact of agriculture on climate change. At the same time, they created new connections between various local institutions and networked the cities of Travnik and Križevci for the first time as part of joint climate protection activities. 
• Professional impact made visible: The thesis “Raising Awareness of Climate Change within the Project ‘Smart Organic Food Initiative” was finished in September 2024 by student Danijel Topljak from Križevci University of Applied Sciences. The aim of the final paper is to investigate the impact of SOFI on raising community awareness of the problem of climate change in the context of agriculture and sustainable development. Primary and secondary research methods were used in the work, which include data collection through a survey, processing, analysis and presentation of data in the time sequence of project activities. The thesis will also be published on the project’s online platform sofi4agri.com.