Carbon Asset Solutions measures and records soil carbon levels in farmland, and then places verified carbon credits on an open market on behalf of farmers. “We’re a measurement, recording, verification platform,” said Jason Bradley of Carbon Asset Solutions. “We measure soil carbon at the atomic level, so highly precise, highly accurate and at a high […] Read more
Tag Archives carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration strategies vary across the country
Prairies are ahead of the East in carbon sequestration because of reduced tillage, but it doesn’t work as well in the East
Agricultural soil will play a huge role in the push to zero emissions by 2050, but their diversity makes a one-size-fits-all policy impossible. Dr. Susan Wood-Bohm, distinguished fellow at the Canadian Agri-food Policy Institute, said there is no single solution because climate and soils are so different across the country. The Prairies are far ahead […] Read more
Soil variability affects carbon policy: ag dean
The soil’s ability to sequester carbon varies across Canada and developing policies to quantify that capability requires standards that recognize those differences, said the dean of agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan. Angela Bedard-Haughn, speaking to the federal standing committee on agriculture’s study of the environmental contribution of agriculture, said the prairie soil carbon balance […] Read more
Biochar: More carbon, better water and nutrient capacity
Enhancing systems that produce and apply biochar as crop amendments should be a focus of carbon sequestration policies, according to a University of Alberta researcher. Cole Gross, doctoral candidate in soil science at the university, conducted a three-year field study comparing one-time additions of manure compost and biochar to assess their effects on soil organic […] Read more
Small, medium, large: three options for farmland carbon capture
Canadian farmland could sequester 72.7 million tonnes of carbon if more producers adopted beneficial practices like cover crops, applying compost and reducing tillage, says a new report from the Soil Conservation Council of Canada and the Compost Council of Canada. The report, released April 5, says there are three possible scenarios for storing carbon in […] Read more
Cover crops’ ability to reduce N2O emissions questioned
The practice helps store carbon in the soil but may not be as effective when it comes to reducing nitrous oxide emissions
In February, Agriculture Canada announced $182.7 million in funding to help farmers fight climate change. The money will be distributed to farm groups and non-government organizations that will use the funds to promote the use of cover crops, rotational grazing and improved nitrogen management. The funding has two main objectives: To pull more carbon out […] Read more
Scientists, farmers wait on cover crop funding
Governments in Canada offer some financial incentives but most are smaller and provincial in scope than those in U.S.
Tom Vilsack wants more farmers to use cover crops. In early January, the U.S. agriculture secretary unveiled a goal of 30 million acres of cover crops on soybean and corn fields across the U.S. by 2030. The cover crop target is part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture partnership with Farmers for Soil Health — […] Read more
Bayer says it hopes to create zero net emissions by 2030
German company’s commitment to help mitigate climate change would affect every aspect of its global crop operations
Sustainability and carbon neutrality are key commitments at Bayer CropScience, the company showed at a recent event. Instead of ducking the concepts, which can trigger some farmers, Bayer CropScience’s Canadian president and chief executive officer, Al Driver, brought them up as he opened the day. “For us, providing solutions on an ongoing basis to some […] Read more
Farming for the climate: Off-season ‘cover’ crops expand as U.S. growers eye low-carbon future
CHICAGO, Jan 4 (Reuters) – Illinois farmer Jack McCormick planted 350 acres of barley and radishes last fall as part of an off-season crop that he does not intend to harvest. Instead, the crops will be killed off with a weed killer next spring before McCormick plants soybeans in the same dirt. The barley and […] Read more
Dollars in the dirt: Big Ag pays farmers for control of their soil-bound carbon
WINNIPEG, Manitoba/CHICAGO, Oct 25 (Reuters) – The biggest global agriculture companies are competing on a new front: enticing farmers to join programs that keep atmosphere-warming carbon dioxide in the soil. Fertilizer producers Nutrien Ltd and Yara, agribusiness giant Cargill Inc, and seed and chemical dealers Corteva Inc and Bayer AG are paying growers for every […] Read more
