Frequently asked questions

What is carbon trading?

Carbon trading gives farmers the opportunity to generate revenue from the carbon stored in their land. By benchmarking and monitoring soil carbon levels with regular laboratory analysis, farmers can understand how much they have sequestered. Carbon selling ultimately helps farmers generate an additional income stream from lucrative carbon markets and should be considered a long-term project.

Carbon markets explained

In the simplest of terms, the carbon market is where carbon credits (see below) are used and exchanged. There are a range of voluntary decisions you can make to obtain carbon credits and enter lucrative carbon markets, carving yourself an additional income stream. These decisions also benefit the environment and help to qualify you for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for even more rewards. See below for more details on how to become eligible for the SFI.

What are carbon credits for farmers?

A permit or certificate representing a tonne of carbon captured is referred to as a “carbon credit”. Buyers, such as large and/or industrial businesses who wish to offset their own emissions, will pay a set unit price for each tonne of carbon sequestered from a farmer’s land. Credits are typically offered when farmers make management decisions that lower their carbon footprint, reducing the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere. These decisions may include changing your soil management plan, adjusting cultivation methods, utilising cover crops, planting trees, or restoring peatland. For more information on the UK’s farm soil carbon marketplace, you can read about the Soil Carbon Code here. Please note that this is still in development and subject to change.

By transitioning to sustainable farming practices, not only will the environment benefit, but farmers will be closer to qualifying for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (more on this below).

What is the current price for carbon?

You can find the latest prices for carbon online using the handy carbon price tracker here. Speak to your agronomist to find out more about the opportunities available to you.

How do I measure soil carbon?

CarbonCheck is a soil carbon testing service that measures soil organic matter (SOM), which is required to qualify for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). It analyses the full suite of soil tests, including inorganic carbon, C:N ratio, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total carbon as part of a comprehensive package. CarbonCheck Plus also includes active carbon analysis, a key soil health indicator.

What is active carbon?

Active carbon measures soil fertility through the readily available portion of soil carbon that provides a food source for soil microbes. It usually represents of the total organic carbon in soil and can be used as an accurate measure of improvement in soil health over time. Regular measurement of active carbon will highlight the impact of different soil management techniques quickly and easily.

Our CarbonCheck Plus package includes active carbon on top of the full list of soil carbon tests.

How do I measure soil health?

Soil health can be measured using a range of NRM’s soil analysis services, booked with us directly or through your agronomist. Our CarbonCheck Plus package includes active carbon on top of the full list of soil carbon tests, which is necessary if you are trying to improve soil health and assess the impact of sustainable farming practices.

How do I improve soil health?

By undertaking regular soil testing at the same time of year at the same depth, you will get a solid picture for the condition of the soil around the farm. Remember, this will vary according to farm location and should be considered a long-term project to give the soil the time it needs to improve. By using your soil testing data, you can work with your agronomist to make the best management decisions for your farm and improve soil health. This could include changes to fertiliser plans, choices in crop rotation, cultivation methods, and much more.

How do I test for soil health?

If you are trying to improve soil health, you will need to measure active carbon. CarbonCheck Plus includes an active carbon measurement on top of the full list of soil tests available with our baseline CarbonCheck package. Measuring, monitoring, and benchmarking soil health for year-on-year improvements with CarbonCheck Plus will also enable you to assess the impact of sustainable farming practices.

For more information on our soil testing services, contact us.

What is the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)?

The SFI rewards farmers for making sustainable management decisions that help to protect and enrich the environment. Farmers are paid per hectare to produce public goods like improved water quality, biodiversity, animal health and welfare, climate change mitigation, and sustainable food production.

To qualify for the SFI, you have to have undertaken soil analysis in the last 5 years, which needs to include soil organic matter (SOM) analysis. NRM offers three analytical options for assessing SOM, including CarbonCheck, our comprehensive soil package that also includes a full soil audit. Speak to your agronomist about the best way to get started, or contact us directly.

For more information on the SFI and what you need to do to be eligible, read our expert blog here. You can also read more about the analysis options available here.