Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation - The Results

Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation, Oct. 28-30, 2008, West Lafayette, IN. The Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation, sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and CTIC, was a rousing success. Three days of science, economics, brainstorming and collaboration among representatives from around the world yielded some very significant conclusions:

• There is good science to describe and quantify the role that farmers around the world can play using conservation agriculture to sequester carbon in the soil.
• Soil carbon offsets have been shown to work in greenhouse gas emissions trading markets. What farmers need now are policies and markets that make soil carbon a widely tradeable, profitable commodity.
• More research will yield even greater insight on how and where farmers can be most effective in sequestering carbon.

Consultation Outcomes

Two documents were produced at the culmination of three days of discussion and collaboration.

The one-page issue statement is designed to be a tool that all of us conservation advocates can distribute to policymakers and influencers worldwide. It is a call for the support of further, deeper scientific inquiry into soil carbon. And it is a call for the establishment of policies and markets that recognize the value of soil carbon as a tool to help us address global greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the value of farmers in helping efficiently sequester millions of tons of carbon.

The two-page summary document provides background and supporting information about the importance of soil carbon sequestration in conservation agriculture. It is designed to accompany the one-pager and provide additional information to the reader.

What You Can Do

• Share both documents with people who can help us put conservation agriculture into action to help address greenhouse gas emissions.
• Send it to your local, regional and national political leaders with a personal note urging them to get more information and to take action.
• Request personal meetings with decision makers and review the documents with them.

Contact CTIC to view the presentations delivered during the Consultation and complete proceedings.

Organized by:
Conservation Technology Information Center
Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Sponsors:

Agrotain International
Syngenta
Mosaic Company
Case IH
National Corn Growers Association
Indiana Soybean Alliance