Confirmation that European farmers are to be paid for sequestering carbon and will be able to trade carbon in the future has been welcomed by the EU farmer and co-op representative group Copa-Cogeca.

However, the representative body cautioned that much of the detail around carbon sequestration payments and the carbon trading mechanism has to be finalised by the Commission.

The communication on carbon farming was released today by the European Commission.

The policy envisages a new green business model that rewards land management practices resulting in increased carbon sequestration in soils.

Challenges

The communication identifies challenges farmers will face when implementing carbon farming practices such as financial burdens, insufficient tailored advisory services and access to knowledge, regulatory obstacles and robust monitoring.

“The agricultural sector has been undertaking efforts and deploying investments towards carbon farming practices which precede today’s Commission communication.

“These efforts must be recognised, and future investments should be promoted.

“In addition, we consider it important to give flexibility on financing and to promote mainly private schemes in which farmers are actively involved,” said Copa-Cogeca president Christiane Lambert.

Issues

Lambert said many uncertainties still remain, including the mechanism to establish carbon credits.

He said there were also issues around the timing of payments and the marketing of carbon credits.

“A market-based approach is key; allowing that carbon credits become an additional income for farmers. In addition, the communication does not clarify how, and which sector shall be accredited for carbon removals through carbon farming,” Copa-Cogeca stated.

The EU representative body also insisted that measures should be put in place to avoid trade-off from companies, and/or the industrial sector, which could acquire credits derived from farming.