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Soils & Policy #2 : Direct Incentive Payments

Direct incentives are cash payments that can make it easier for growers to change their management practices. What are the strengths, limitations, and opportunities payment programs?

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Can Blockchain Make Carbon Markets More Transparent?

Carbon markets have hit a few hiccups. One is transparency: how much are carbon credits worth and where’s the money going? Blockchain could help.

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Preserving Tribal Lands with Carbon Markets: National Indian Carbon Coalition

Protect, preserve, and create economic resources. This is the mission of the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC), which works with tribal members and leaders to develop carbon sequestration projects, protect tribal natural resources, and generate revenue for land acquisition and community development. 

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What Can We Learn from Alberta’s Carbon Market?

Back in 2007, Alberta (one of Canada's 13 provinces) instituted new regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including a carbon market. So how did it go?

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What Are the Barriers Keeping Farmers Out of Carbon Markets?

Over 90% of farmers are aware of carbon markets, but only 3% of the surveyed farmers are participating in a market, according to a 2022 report by Trust in Food. Listen as Lee Briese describes some of the barriers keeping farmers out of carbon markets.

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How Do Data Flow Through Agricultural Carbon Markets?

Think four major players: farmers, project developers, verifiers, and registries.

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What Makes a Quality Carbon Credit?

Additional practices, permanence, verification, and registration. The perfect blend for a quality carbon credit!

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What Is Additionality?

When we talk about carbon markets, "additionality" is one of those terms that's tough to avoid. But what is additionality? And what does it mean when it comes to agricultural carbon? 

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What Is Agriculture’s Role in Decarbonization & Carbon Markets?

Decarbonization is the push to hit "net zero" or "carbon neutral" emissions. But what does all that have to do with agriculture?

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What Is Additionality in a Carbon Market?

“Additionality” is a huge component of verifying whether a carbon market is creating quality credits. It’s asking, “Is this project sequestering carbon or decreasing emissions in a way that would not happen otherwise?”

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Who Earns Carbon Credits on Rented Land?

About 40% of all farmland in the contiguous U.S. is rented. So who owns carbon credits generated on that land, and how should owners and operators discuss entering a carbon program?

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4 Questions to Ask Before Signing a Carbon Contract

Say you're ready to commit to a carbon program. But before you declare "love at first sight" and sign on the dotted line, there are a few questions you should ask.

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How Does Reducing Tillage and Adding Cover Crops Impact Farm Income?

Changing practices might come with some changing expenses, but how do these practices impact farm income in the long term?

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Can You Adopt Conservation Practices and Still Make a Profit?

Adopting cover crops and reduced or no-till can come with new expenses. But how do the on-farm economics really pan out?

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3 Questions to Ask Before Looking at a Carbon Program

Voluntary carbon programs are cropping up around the U.S. But before you join a program, there are a few things to consider.

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What Are Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions?

Owned, direct, indirect, energy, supply chains--what in the world counts as an emission for each scope?

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Which New Technologies Could Impact Carbon & Ecosystem Markets?

New technologies could be the next big step in helping agricultural and environmental service markets gain ground. But how? And which technologies will be most helpful?

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Which Countries Are Using Agricultural Carbon Markets?

Brazil, European countries, and the United States are among those focusing on agriculture’s role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon.

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Who Are the Buyers of Carbon Credits?

Potential buyers of carbon and ecosystem service credits include any business, government, industry, or individual interested in decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

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What Are the Differences Between Voluntary & Compliance Markets?

Both voluntary and compliance carbon markets are trying to do the same thing--generate and sell credible carbon credits. But key differences arise when buyers and sellers opt in compared to mandated systems.

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How Are Carbon Credits Priced & Sold?

Carbon credits in voluntary carbon markets are typically priced and sold by the market providers themselves. Like other consumer goods, prices for credits are influenced by supply and demand. As demand increases, so too could the average price paid per credit sold on the marketplace.

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What Is a Carbon Registry?

A carbon registry is the central component of a carbon market trade, positioned between projects that store or offset carbon and buyers that purchase carbon credits.