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Farmers should expect carbon credits to be audited to get paid
Producers who enroll in a carbon credit program should expect to be audited to get paid.
Executive Director Debbie Reed with Ecosystems Services Marketing Consortium (ESMC) says growers will need to begin by collecting baseline data on their farm or ranch. “They do document their baseline, they’re starting point as well as changes in their production systems that will create improvements in soil carbon, net greenhouse gases, water quality, water quantity and biodiversity,” Reed says.
She says someone must verify the data is credible and comparable to market standards for a producer to get money. “The way we quantify credits is actually model based for most of the greenhouse gases and for the water assets,” she says. “For soil carbon, we have integrated quantification approaches that requires both soil testing at baseline and probably every 5-10 years.”
During remarks at the 2021 Kansas Governor’s Ag Summit, she said it typical for companies like ESMC to have a third-party verity the credits.
Reed represents a non-profit that helps compensate producers who improve farming practices for the environment by enrolling in their marketing program.
