The indicator shows the average SOC stocks, which were calculated following the formula of Lefèvre et al. (2017) from measured values in soil samples collected at representative sites within the following agricultural land-use categories:

• 1100 – arable land     
• 1160 – hop field
• 1211 – vineyard
• 1221 – intensive orchard
• 1222 – extensive or meadow orchard
• 1300 – permanent grassland
• 1321 – peatland meadow
• 1410 – agricultural land under succession
• 1500 – trees and shrubs

Although soil sampling was not repeated at the same sites, the data were divided into two time periods and are presented as averages for the respective land-use categories by period:

• before 2020,
• from 2020 onwards.

The assessment of SOC stocks in agricultural soils serves as an indicator of sustainable use of agricultural land, soil fertility maintenance, and the contribution of agriculture to climate change mitigation.

The highest average in the entire dataset is found in peatland meadows (1321), with 189.3 t/ha recorded in the period from 2020 onwards (n=10). This value confirms that organic soils represent key areas of exceptionally high carbon storage, although the limited sample size requires cautious interpretation. Among land uses with permanent soil cover, permanent grasslands (1300) stand out, where the mean increased from 99.2 t/ha (before 2020; n=150) to 128.5 t/ha (from 2020 onwards; n=48), representing an increase of approximately +29%. High carbon stocks were also measured under trees and shrubs (1500), although the mean decreased slightly from 114.0 to 104.6 t/ha (–8.2%; n=13 → 12), and in hop fields (1160), for which no earlier data are available but which averaged 116.2 t/ha after 2020 (n=10).

Within the group of semi-permanent uses with moderate management intensity, extensive or meadow orchards (1222) increased from 86.2 to 101.1 t/ha (n=20 → 11), highlighting the benefits of permanent grass cover and reduced soil disturbance compared to intensive systems. Agricultural land under succession (1410) had averages of 96.5 and 88.4 t/ha (–8.4%; n=15 in both periods), consistent with the transitional nature of this land use and heterogeneous substrate. In more intensive systems, carbon stocks were lower: intensive orchards (1221) increased from 82.7 to 93.6 t/ha (n=20 → 15), while vineyards (1211) decreased from 68.1 to 58.9 t/ha (–13.5%; n=28 → 13). Arable land (1100), with the largest number of samples (n=122 and 127), showed a moderate increase from 103.1 to 113.3 t/ha (+9.9%), which may reflect a broader adoption of conservation practices (cover crops, reduced tillage) or differences in the spatial distribution of sampled sites between the two periods.

Conservation tillage (i.e. reduced or minimum soil disturbance) and/or increased inputs of organic matter into soils promote greater accumulation of soil organic carbon and consequently reduce atmospheric CO₂, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation in the medium and long term. It is therefore crucial that measures within the Common Agricultural Policy are directed towards promoting sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring improved environmental protection and a stronger contribution of agriculture to climate change mitigation.

Key findings:

• Peatland meadows (1321) hold by far the largest soil organic carbon stocks (~189 t/ha), but due to the small sample size, cautious interpretation and continued monitoring are required.
• Vineyards (1211) and intensive orchards (1221) remain among the land uses with the lowest carbon stocks (59–94 t/ha), consistent with the effects of more intensive management and frequent soil disturbance.
• Arable land (1100) lies in the medium range (approx. 103–113 t/ha), but results after 2020 suggest a slight increase.
• Given the large sample size, temporal differences can be assessed with greater confidence for arable land and permanent grassland. In both cases, carbon stocks appear to be increasing. Note: temporal differences between periods should be regarded as indicative only, since sampling was not repeated at the same locations.