What Is Carbon Farming?

• Published date: 02 May 2022
• Law Firm: Withers LLP
• Author: Mr Bertie Hoskyns-Abrahall and Liz Hutton

Carbon farming is a general term for a variety of agricultural methods aimed at sequestering atmospheric carbon into soil, crop roots, wood and leaves. Its proponents consider the practices a bold new agricultural business model with potential to tackle climate change. Here, we discuss the nature of carbon farming along with an update on wider environmental schemes and their integration into UK government policy.

When plants photosynthesise, they remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it, when they die, this carbon is either released back into the atmosphere or stored for long periods of time in the soil. Conventional agricultural practices result in the release of carbon, whilst carbon farming, in simple terms aims to take excess carbon out of the atmosphere and store it in the soil where it may aid the growth of plants with the goal of creating a net loss of carbon from the atmosphere.

The practice is often carried out by individual landowners who are given incentives to use and integrate carbon sequestering methods. Some examples of practices that can help are:

• Returning leftover biomass to the soil as mulch after harvest As it decomposes, the residue fuels the carbon cycle in the soil;
• Replacing continuous monocultures...