In this blog post, we will explore the importance of soil carbon baseline testing, the methods used to obtain soil samples, and the laboratory processes involved in determining soil carbon percentages.

As we grapple with the urgent need to combat climate change, it has become increasingly evident that agriculture plays a crucial role in both mitigating and adapting to the environmental challenges we face. One promising avenue in sustainable agriculture is soil carbon sequestration, a process that involves capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil. To embark on this transformative journey, farmers need a solid understanding of their soil’s carbon content, which can be achieved through soil carbon testing.

Agriculture can play a pivotal role in mitigating climate change, which is a global crisis accelerating due to rising greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. A shift in agricultural practices can transform this sector. While agriculture has traditionally been a major contributor to greenhouse gases, it has the opportunity to be a significant solution for climate change mitigation.

Several factors determine the quality or integrity of a carbon credit. They typically revolve around additionality, permanence, leakage, and verification principles.

Soil carbon farming is an agricultural practice that involves adoption of regenerative farming practices to increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. In a nutshell, it enhances the ability of plants to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (via photosynthesis) and store it in the soil as organic matter. This process ultimately sequesters carbon in the soil but in the process of doing so, it promotes soil health and structure, water retention and biodiversity, and can reduce soil erosion, pests and disease.

Humans have cleared one-third of the world’s forests and two-thirds of the wild grasslands. As a result, wild mammal biomass has declined by 85%. Land use change for the purpose of agriculture is the primary driver of the loss of the earth’s biodiversity. The impact of this loss of biodiversity is coming into sharper focus as we begin to see the effects of climate change starkly unfold. We are now facing climate and biodiversity crises. These two crises are interlinked and inseparable. To stabilise the climate, we must also restore the earth’s biodiversity.