Carbon farming

Carbon farming is the set of farming and forestry practices that capture and store carbon in soils and biomass, or that reduce emissions from soils. Its distinctive feature is that the carbon retained or avoided can be quantified and, where applicable, give rise to the generation of credits.

It is an outcome-oriented concept, focused on carbon, rather than a specific agronomic philosophy, so it overlaps substantially with regenerative agriculture, which shares many of its practices but focuses on overall soil health and not only on the carbon balance.

How it works

Carbon farming acts through two complementary routes:

• Capture and storage: practices such as cover crops, no-till, agroforestry or peatland restoration increase the carbon fixed in soils and vegetation, contributing to carbon storage and strengthening carbon sinks.
• Emission reduction: improvements in fertiliser-use efficiency or soil management that lower nitrous oxide emissions.

The additional carbon effectively captured can be understood as a form of carbon removal when it involves taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and keeping it stored.

The European framework: the CRCF Regulation

In the European Union, carbon farming sits within Regulation (EU) 2024/3012 of 27 November 2024, which establishes a Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products (known as the CRCF). It has been in force since 26 December 2024 and its key features are:

• It covers three types of activity: permanent removals (such as direct air capture or biochar), carbon farming (soil carbon, agroforestry, peatland restoration) and storage in long-lasting products.
• It requires independent third-party verification and the publication of certification information in public registries.
• Participation is voluntary, but only activities verified under the framework can obtain certified units.

The regulation aims to bring rigour, quality and traceability, and to reduce the risk of greenwashing in a market where not all carbon-capture claims are equivalent. The certification methodologies for each activity type are adopted through subsequent delegated acts, so it is worth checking which ones are available before planning a project.

Relationship with carbon credits

When outcomes are certified, carbon farming can give rise to carbon credits, generating income for farmers and forest owners. The usual caveats of these practices are worth recalling: the permanence of carbon in soil is not guaranteed, it can saturate and reverse, so the quality of measurement and verification is decisive for a credit to have real value.

Value for the agrifood sector

Beyond credits, carbon farming delivers benefits to natural capital, such as better soil structure and greater water retention, and can be integrated into emission-reduction strategies for the food supply chain.

Measure your impact with Manglai

A carbon farming project is only worth as much as its data. With Manglai's carbon footprint module you can quantify and document the carbon in your farming value chain with traceability.