Farmers form Carbon Coalition to get credits for soil carbon storage

A new farmers’ movement was launched this week in central western New South Wales. The Carbon Coalition was launched at the Central West Conservation Farmers Association Annual Conference in Wellington.

The Carbon Coalition aims to promote organic carbon contained in agricultural soils as a carbon sink to earn tradable credits on the greenhouse emissions market.

Farmers would then be paid up to $3,000 per hectare for “sequestering” carbon in the soil. To date only forests have been recognised as tradable for carbon credits.

Convenor of the Carbon Coalition, woolgrower Michael Kiely said response to the Coalition’s “Manifesto” had been vigorous. “There were more than 200 at the conference and we’ll sign up half of those within a month or so, given current registrations,” he says. “We have even had an email from a dairy farmer in Vermont, USA offering his support.”

There are three levels of involvement growers can choose:

1. Advocacy – actively pushing the message that carbon-rich soils be recognised as the basis for tradable carbon credits.
2. Learning Centres – operations that have already adopted farm systems that add carbon to soils will become regional learning centres where other farmers can observe their techniques.
3. Register to have their soil tested and carbon levels recorded and stored in a database as a baseline “floor” so they can participate in selling their credit as soon as the system is introduced.

“If the system works like carbon sink forests are operating, farmers will be paid for increases in carbon, not for the carbon they already store in the soil. So registering and having your carbon deposits recorded is an important first step,” says Mr Kiely.

Alliances with energy companies and corporate sponsors are planned.

“Many government agencies have been trying to get farmers to retain and foster soils, to reverse the depletion due to erosion, salination and over-exploitation. This carbon credit scheme will give them a direct financial return for doing the right thing. An important side effect of soil carbon trading will be better soil management,” says Mr Kiely.

The Coalition’s Council includes several winners of the Conservation Farmer of the Year Award (Central West), including David Marsh, “Allendale”, Booroowa, and Col Seis, “Winona”, Gulgong, as well as Chairman of the Central West Conservation Farmers’ Association Rick Maurice, “Gillinghall”, Spicer’s Creek
And noted soil scientist Christine Jones from Armidale NSW.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact Convenor Michael Kiely 0417 280 540, or Michael@newhorizon.au.com
Or visit http://carboncoalitionoz.blogspot.com (temporary site while www.carboncoalition.com.au constructed)