Reporting in agriculture can no longer be about ticking boxes: it has to drive real impact. The discussion at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit, London, Sept 22–23, 2025 highlighted how great science and high-quality data are essential foundations for climate-smart reporting, but also how difficult it is to achieve them consistently. Without strong methodologies and formats, reporting risks slipping into greenwashing instead of delivering genuine change.

A recurring theme was the business model for farmers. Data is often presented as valuable, yet if farmers don’t see financial benefits, the quality and consistency of that data will remain poor. Collaborative models, such as cooperatives using for example blockchain for traceability, show promise in ensuring that good reporting translates into long-term revenue streams for farmers, from the field all the way to the final product. Incentives are key to scaling. Farmers need to be paid first for providing data and adopting sustainable practices. Whether through premiums for climate-smart products, lower interest rates linked to reduced risks, or direct support for more efficient input use, linking finance with sustainability data creates a powerful feedback loop. Lessons can also be drawn from other sectors, for example, digital product passports in the textile industry, to imagine what agriculture’s own system could look like.

Another challenge is harmonisation. Farms are frequently approached by multiple carbon platforms, each asking for different data. This creates confusion, duplication, and frustration. Aligning on a core set of metrics, covering not just carbon, but also soil health, biodiversity, socio-economic indicators, and water, is critical. Measuring outcomes rather than practices allows farmers to choose the methods that work best in their context while still contributing to consistent reporting across the value chain.

Finally, reporting needs to go beyond carbon. Water use, for instance, is emerging as a major priority, with initiatives such as water credits on the horizon.

The real opportunity lies in consumer demand: if end customers begin asking for transparency and impact data, the whole agri-food sector will have both the incentive and the obligation to deliver.

To conclude, climate-smart reporting only works when it is farmer-first, outcome-focused, and backed by a solid business model. Done right, it can transform data from a compliance burden into a real driver of resilience, efficiency, and trust across the entire value chain.