Grainswest Tech 2021

Tech 2021 Grains West 38 FEATURE CO 2 QUICK FACTS • Not all carbon is created equal. Emissions are reported in tonnes of CO2 while sequestration is reported in tonnes of C. • One Mt of carbon is equivalent to 3.67 Mt of CO2. • Canada emits approximately 740 Mt of CO 2 annually with agriculture-based emissions accounting for eight to 11 per cent of the national total. • To reach the country’s 2030 emissions goal, emissions must be reduced to 400 Mt CO2 annually. reduce emissions, including cover crops, alternative grazing, precision nitrogen application and sectional control. But howwill emissions and sequestration be quantified and verified, and by whom? Agnew said this is unclear. The sheer scale of agriculture and the variety of practices and technologies in use make quantification challenging. To qualify for credits requires much verified, scientifically robust data, she added. Often, this means hiring an aggregator to handle paperwork and red tape. Farmers won’t do this if the value of carbon credits is too low. Another concern Agnew raised in her report is the rampant spread of misinformation. The public throws around the terms “carbon sequestration” and “regenerative ag,” hailing the latter as the best way to do the former. And while they may potentially be right, carbon sequestration is difficult to quantify and regenerative agriculture has no fixed definition. In a recent study, for example, University of Colorado researchers found regenerative ag to have multiple definitions, some contradictory. Published in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems , the study concluded most definitions fall into one of two camps. One group stands on process-based management practices such as no-till, cover crops, livestock integration, crop rotation and reduced reliance on inputs. The second group focuses on outcomes- based environmental solutions such as improved soil health and soil carbon sequestration. Most definitions, though, include a mix of both groups. For now, the margin for interpretation is too wide. CARBON CALCULATIONS There’s no easy way to calculate how much carbon a given field has sequestered, but methods are under development. In the U.S., farmers can access the CIBO Impact. The digital platform provides a direct-from-the- farmer carbon marketplace. With the use of artificial intelligence modelling and remote sensing data, CIBO calculates land and lease values, productivity, soil stability and forecasts yields. It uses satellite imagery to verify practices, which are rarely, if ever, quantified at ground level. The platform has apparently determined the regenerative potential of all U.S. farmland parcels. Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a U.S. non-profit, compensates farmers and ranchers who adopt alternative practices that reduce greenhouse gases, improve water quality and perform additional ecosystem services. To underpin development of its first protocol now under pilot testing, the ESMC examined existing soil carbon, water quality and quantity protocols. These included Alberta’s Conservation Cropping Protocol, which is based on direct or two-pass seeding that increases soil organic matter. Any soil disturbance must be kept within its guidelines. Carbon yield is fixed, depending on the area, and farmers can earn as much as CAD$1.73 per acre for participation. The pilot project ends in December. In Alberta, the Olds College Smart Farm can assist in the quantification and verification of emissions reduction and soil carbon sequestration, said Agnew. In collaboration with industry partners, the 2,800-acre facility allows researchers to “truth test” technology and generate data to inform policy development. It also works with technology developers to validate and optimize remote sensing methods to measure organic carbon in soil. Corporations such as General Mills, Nutrien, Bayer and Corteva will also roll out carbon programs for farmers. Nutrien recently launched its carbon pilot program. Working with about 45 western Canadian farmers, it is developing a protocol that will fall under the government’s compliance-based mechanisms. It also helps farmers engage in the voluntary carbon trading market. The program uses Alberta’s Nitrous Oxide Emission Reduction Protocol (NERP) and the Conservation Cropping Protocol as a start point.