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Project

Testing and demonstrating the implementation of the underlying practices of a carbon farming scheme as a systemic innovation in support of the F2F Strategy (FarmCarbon)

FarmCarbon aims to validate, demonstrate and implement a result-based carbon farming scheme that aims to increase farm-based carbon sequestration and storage in soils in order to achieve healthy soils and climate neutral farming by reducing GHG emissions.
Achieving this objective requires linking results delivered (GHG emissions avoided or CO2 sequestered) as well as payments made to the farmer. First, such a scheme requires a certification mechanism?consisting of an operational monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system?under which farmers can generate carbon credits. Carbon credits are certificates that may be traded in carbon markets or used to pay farmers compensation for their efforts in a results-based manner. Next, the scheme requires a financing mechanism under which government or private actors pay farmers for the credits they generated. Using a transdisciplinary, multi-actor approach, the project will achieve this overarching objective through the following five sub-objectives):
(1) develop and demonstrate an operational result-based carbon farming scheme, (2) define regions, farmers and agricultural management practices with potential for carbon farming, (3) identify economic, social and institutional barriers as well as enablers for developing a carbon farming scheme, (4) assess co-benefits of carbon farming and (5) implement an operational carbon farming scheme. FarmCarbon will co-create and disseminate a carbon farming scheme pilot involving about 600 farmers in 7 countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal and Sweden), cover 10,000 hectares of land on mineral soils used for annual arable crops and/or grassland. The scheme will be based on the Verified Carbon Standard Methodology for improved agricultural land management developed by Verra, one of the leading institutions in carbon accounting standards.

Date:1 Jul 2021 →  Today
Keywords:climate neutral farms, carbon sequestration, carbon farming, carbon credits, soil health, regenerative agriculture
Disciplines:Sustainable agriculture, Agriculture, land and farm management not elsewhere classified