Soil carbon measurement is increasingly vital in agriculture, especially with the growing interest...
Soil, in all its dynamic and complex beauty, has rapidly become a very attractive solution for climate change mitigation. But not too long ago, the benefits of building up soil carbon were still very much unknown. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone but the likes of a farmer, agronomist, or scientist talking about the world beneath our feet.
It is clear that increasing soil carbon leads to improved soil health and higher yields, while also supporting enhanced microbial activity and biological diversity. This results in a positive impact for the environment and farm economics.
However, through a literal groundswell of interest caused by the three pressing issues of climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security, soil has increasingly been placed front and centre of our collective attention.
Across culture, the role of healthy soils is becoming more prevalent. Articles on soil can now be found across the spectrum of newspapers, magazines, and websites – including successful Netflix documentaries with celebrity voiceovers. There was even a spiritual mystic who travelled across the world by motorbike promoting the importance of healthy soils.
Each year, this energy comes together for a two-day “festival” on a farm in Hertfordshire; Groundswell – the highlight of the regenerative agriculture calendar. Through the efforts of its founders, the Cherry family, it plays its part in restoring the central role of healthy soils in our agri-ecosystems by guiding the hearts and minds of farmers, business, and the public.
Precise Data is Key
But here’s the crux…
Powerful storytelling has been vital to get us this far. However, we are now at a point in the journey where precise data is the key to evidencing and unlocking the global transition to regenerative agriculture.
We are standing at the frontier of applying strategies that will result to soil carbon sequestration at scale s. In order to understand any impact and return on investment, quality measurement is critical. However, for that to happen, it is key that we overcome the challenge of robustly evidencing changes in soil carbon stocks across varying soil types, geographies, and land management practices … and this is the problem that Agricarbon has solved.
We offer farmers, project developers, and companies the ability to accurately measure and monitor their soil carbon stocks at scale. We provide you with data that can be used to make informed decisions about farming practices and can also be monetised by the carbon markets, or through net-zero strategies.
In a world where greenwashing claims abound and where protocol requirements are still developing, having confidence in your soil carbon data is vital. This is where the value of Agricarbon kicks in, our processes to strategise, sample, analyse, and quantify your soil carbon, will always be leading the industry for scientific accuracy and auditability. Therefore, your data is future-proofed.
Prominent Expertise
We are guided by one of the world’s leading soil scientists, Dr Helaina Black, alongside a leadership team with equally prominent expertise across policy, technology, and soil science. Informed by our ever-growing database, we are always on top of latest developments. Understanding the changes in science and policy requires a depth of experience, which we provide in a simple service that accurately detects changes in the ground.
Our service underpins carbon-buyer confidence in soil carbon sequestration, and yes, this is backed up by numbers. So far, Agricarbon has sampled over 32,000ha and quantified over 2 million tonnes of carbon. We believe this to be the biggest database on soil carbon in the world. Our operations cover the UK and Europe with further international expansion planned.
It is our dream for soil to reach its full potential as a powerful carbon sink whilst supporting food production and natural ecosystems. Soils are truly worthy of their growing reputation as a climate solution, and we are proud that our service plays a critical role in the scaling of soil carbon sequestration.
To conclude, Agricarbon empowers farmers with accurate data about your soil carbon stocks. This can be used as a diversified income stream and provides evidence that your sustainable farming practices are delivering the desired impact. By measuring and monitoring soil carbon levels, farmers can optimize land use, reduce your carbon footprint, and increase profitability while promoting soil health and biodiversity.
In short, you make the difference, and we measure it.
Have a chat with one of our friendly team and find out more about the benefits of measuring and increasing your soil carbon. We will be exhibiting at Groundswell this June, and we welcome any questions you may have. Alternatively, you can contact me directly at hkamilaris@agricarbon.co.uk
This article was written in the Summer of 2023 for the Farmers Guide
About the Author:
Dr. Harry Kamilaris
Dr Harry Kamilaris is a passionate Sustainability expert with a Doctorate in atmospheric and environmental sciences from The University of Edinburgh. Specializing in bioeconomic farm-level modelling, he has a masterful understanding of sustainable agriculture practices. Now serving as a Senior Business Development Consultant at Agricarbon, Harry applies his talents to the critical innovation of soil carbon measurement.
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