What is carbon farming?
Carbon Farming is a new way of farming to sequestrate carbon in the soil. Carbon that otherwise ends up as CO2 in our atmosphere, causing climate change. There are many ways to do this: from small adjustments on farm level - like applying fertilizers rich in carbon, reduced or no-tillage, or planting cover crops - to changes in the entire farming system - like enriched crop rotation or agroforestry.
Examples of carbon sequestration techniques
The power of the soil
With carbon farming farmers use the power of the soil to sequestrate carbon emissions from industry, infrastructure and households nearby. This yields a better climate, more fertile and resistant farmland, and also creates opportunities for several partners in and outside the agri-food chain.
Collaboration to improve the local environment
For instance, chain companies can work together with farmers and advertise their use of carbon farming on product packaging. And companies outside the agri-food chain can buy carbon farming certificates to compensate for their own emissions. The financial compensation for the farmer creates an incentive to apply carbon sequestration techniques on the soil, and the local carbon offset creates benefits for the company, like product branding, a positive image and reaching sustainability goals.
Carbon Farming is thus not only about applying soil management techniques on farm level to sequestrate carbon. It is also about collaboration between farmers and partners to improve the local environment!
Read more about the project goals and activities
The carbon cycle
The video below explains how carbon farming fits into the global carbon cycle and can contribute to mitigating climate change:
Source: Kiss the ground; The Soil Story narrated by Larry Kopald