Carbon farming as a climate measure: a farmer perspective

Carbon farming is increasingly promoted as a solution to transform the agricultural sector’s relationship to climate change and as a strategy to reach net-zero emissions targets.

But despite the potential of soils to act as a carbon sink, the effectiveness of carbon farming as a climate measure is conditioned by whether farmers are willing and able to change their everyday practices and the overall impacts on farming systems and livelihoods.

Drawing on place-based, empirically grounded research, the overall aim of this research project is therefore to evaluate the potential of carbon farming to act as a climate measure, with focus on the farmer perspective. We thereby seek to address the gap in engagement with producer perspectives in soil carbon research.

We will identify farmers’ incentives and barriers to engage in carbon farming, and how these may affect different groups of producers.

Furthermore, we will assess potential synergies, trade-offs and tensions associated with carbon farming as a climate measure in relation to other social-environmental goals. In short, we ask: what is in it for the farmer?

Based on interaction with key stakeholders, a second aim of the project is to identify current gaps and needs, as well as options for policy and governance measures that could support the promotion of carbon farming.

We thereby seek to combine critical and solutions-oriented research in support of a broader transition of agricultural systems towards sustainability.