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The race for carbon in farmland : global mapping of the emerging voluntary market for soil carbon credits

Johansson, Emma LU ; Andersson, Elina LU and Fischer, Klara (2025) In International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology 32(7). p.810-826
Abstract

Carbon farming is increasingly promoted as a strategy to achieve net-zero climate targets. This paper examines voluntary carbon market programmes through a global inventory and discourse analysis to identify key actors and how they frame and implement carbon farming. Findings show that agri-chemical firms, agri-tech companies, and new carbon farming startups mainly target large-scale farmers in the Global North. These programmes promote a ‘triple win’ narrative–climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and farmer profit–under a regenerative agriculture branding. However, practical commitment to transformation is limited, often serving corporate interests. The study also highlights challenges in credit integrity and reflects on how... (More)

Carbon farming is increasingly promoted as a strategy to achieve net-zero climate targets. This paper examines voluntary carbon market programmes through a global inventory and discourse analysis to identify key actors and how they frame and implement carbon farming. Findings show that agri-chemical firms, agri-tech companies, and new carbon farming startups mainly target large-scale farmers in the Global North. These programmes promote a ‘triple win’ narrative–climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and farmer profit–under a regenerative agriculture branding. However, practical commitment to transformation is limited, often serving corporate interests. The study also highlights challenges in credit integrity and reflects on how soils are revalued as carbon sinks, contributing to debates on the prospects of carbon farming as a dual tool for climate action and agricultural sustainability.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
agriculture, Carbon credits, climate, farming, regenerative, voluntary carbon market
in
International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology
volume
32
issue
7
pages
17 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:105017997366
ISSN
1350-4509
DOI
10.1080/13504509.2025.2561262
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
2d315f2b-5135-4a13-aefa-c7acf9e0728d
date added to LUP
2025-10-22 10:17:22
date last changed
2025-10-22 15:37:32
@article{2d315f2b-5135-4a13-aefa-c7acf9e0728d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Carbon farming is increasingly promoted as a strategy to achieve net-zero climate targets. This paper examines voluntary carbon market programmes through a global inventory and discourse analysis to identify key actors and how they frame and implement carbon farming. Findings show that agri-chemical firms, agri-tech companies, and new carbon farming startups mainly target large-scale farmers in the Global North. These programmes promote a ‘triple win’ narrative–climate mitigation, sustainable agriculture, and farmer profit–under a regenerative agriculture branding. However, practical commitment to transformation is limited, often serving corporate interests. The study also highlights challenges in credit integrity and reflects on how soils are revalued as carbon sinks, contributing to debates on the prospects of carbon farming as a dual tool for climate action and agricultural sustainability.</p>}},
  author       = {{Johansson, Emma and Andersson, Elina and Fischer, Klara}},
  issn         = {{1350-4509}},
  keywords     = {{agriculture; Carbon credits; climate; farming; regenerative; voluntary carbon market}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{810--826}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology}},
  title        = {{The race for carbon in farmland : global mapping of the emerging voluntary market for soil carbon credits}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2025.2561262}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13504509.2025.2561262}},
  volume       = {{32}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}