Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly has called for discussions on carbon farming amidst negotiations on the Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission. Carbon farming aims to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and store it in soils, rewarding farmers for reducing emissions and increasing carbon sequestration. However, a “well functioning” carbon farming framework that provides confidence, verification, and certification is essential to reward farmers. The European Commission proposed a voluntary carbon removal verification framework to certify carbon removals generated across Europe last year, but rules about how carbon credits will be used or who can buy them are not included in the proposal. The legislative procedure is expected to be finished before the next EU elections in 2024.
Many farmers in Ireland and Europe currently struggle to access carbon markets due to a lack of approved tools for measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions on farms. By implementing regenerative farming practices such as cover cropping, rotational grazing, and agro-forestry, the carbon sequestration capabilities in Ireland can be “significantly enhanced”, said Kelly. This not only mitigates climate change but also improves soil health, increases biodiversity, and strengthens the resilience of farming communities. Amid the current debate around biodiversity, carbon farming is an opportunity to put farmers at the center and prepare them with the tools and reward them for addressing climate issues, MEP Colm Markey said.
Markey stressed that the verification of carbon credits is the most important part and that this is the opportunity to bring new money into agriculture. He said, “We have to recognize that the more effective we are [in] monitoring, reporting, [and verifying], the more we can then stand over the credibility of our carbon credits and then they are worth more in the market.” However, the value of that carbon credit must be returned to the farmer or the landowner and not investors who could see an opportunity to invest in land just to access carbon credits. Kelly stressed that the journey towards carbon farming will not be without its challenges, and concerns around land use, funding, and market mechanisms must be addressed.
Willow and livestock farmer and chair of the EIP ARCZero project Prof. John Gilliland said that the biggest knowledge gap exists in measuring carbon stocks on farmland. Net zero is where the sum of emissions equals the sum of sequestration, it is not about zero emissions, he said, stressing the importance of helping farmers to know their own carbon data. “Remember, at the end of the day, the legislation of net zero is about getting the average of the industry to zero, it is not about getting every farm to zero,” he said. Gilliland commented on the potential selling of carbon credits outside the agriculture industry, saying, “I would hate to see airlines running away with all our carbon and then find we [farmers] are continuously beaten up and we actually have to go back into the market and buy expensive carbon back again. That would be an own goal.”
Carbon farming has the potential to help farmers mitigate climate change, improve soil health, increase biodiversity, and strengthen the resilience of farming communities. However, a “well functioning” carbon farming framework that provides confidence, verification, and certification is essential to reward farmers. The European Commission proposed a voluntary carbon removal verification framework to certify carbon removals generated across Europe last year, but rules about how carbon credits will be used or who can buy them are not included in the proposal. The legislative procedure is expected to be finished before the next EU elections in 2024. Concerns around land use, funding, and market mechanisms must be addressed to ensure the success of carbon farming.
