Verra Unveils Digital Tool to Track Carbon in Farmland

Verra, a leading carbon standards body, has launched a new digital tool aimed at making it easier to measure how much carbon is stored in agricultural soils — a key step in addressing climate change.

The tool, known as VT0014 Estimating Organic Carbon Stocks Using Digital Soil Mapping, uses satellite data and advanced modeling to estimate levels of soil organic carbon. This provides a clearer picture of how farming practices, from crop rotation to grazing, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lock away carbon in the ground. Importantly, the system also measures uncertainty, helping to ensure results are scientifically sound and trustworthy.

Traditional soil sampling is often expensive and time-consuming, and it only captures information from a limited number of locations. By contrast, digital soil mapping can cover larger areas at a lower cost and with greater detail. That could make it easier for more farmers and land managers to join carbon projects, which in turn could generate verified carbon credits.

The new tool has already been approved for use in Verra’s agricultural land management programs. The organization says it will soon publish further guidance on how developers can apply it under current and future methodologies.

Experts believe agriculture has enormous potential in the climate fight. If widely adopted, farming and land management practices such as agroforestry and sustainable grazing could cut or remove nearly 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2050, according to IPCC projections cited by Verra. These practices also improve soil health, boost yields, and help rural communities adapt to harsher climate conditions.

By improving the reliability of carbon accounting, Verra’s new tool could help scale up climate solutions in agriculture while also strengthening global food security.

Source: verra.org