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Elina Andersson

Researcher

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

Author

  • Emma Johansson
  • Elina Andersson
  • Klara Fischer

Summary, in English

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.

Department/s

  • LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)

Publishing year

2025

Language

English

Pages

810-826

Publication/Series

International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology

Volume

32

Issue

7

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Environmental Studies in Social Sciences

Keywords

  • agriculture
  • Carbon credits
  • climate
  • farming
  • regenerative
  • voluntary carbon market

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1350-4509