MEF4CAP is short for ‘Monitoring and Evaluation Frameworks for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)’, which in turn is a precise description of the project.

Developments in the political landscape (Paris Agreement, European Green Deal etc.) inevitably broaden the scope of indicators for monitoring and evaluating (M&E) the CAP. Data are increasingly generated by farmers and current information and communications technologies (ICT) development in the agribusiness create new opportunities to integrate them. Data integration is needed and so are new ways of making sense of them to monitor and evaluate the impact of the CAP.

M&E have so far been based on agricultural statistics and administrative data but with the new needs and possibilities, the use of satellite and sensory data will be increasingly important. MEF4CAP will make an inventory of future data needs for M&E, describe the current developments in ICT and data capturing techniques and assess the technological readiness of these solutions.

The MEF4CAP project is designed to draw on the insights and perspectives of all relevant stakeholders to identify best practices, ensure the inclusion of all relevant developments and to discuss the potential of widening their application.

The project will deliver a roadmap for future monitoring, where the needs of different stakeholders are met, and the potential of different approaches is fully and optimally exploited.