Soil carbon worth US$250/tonne says world authority

Soil Carbon is easily worth more than US$200 a tonnes, according to the world's most senior soil carbon specialist, Professor Rattan Lal of Ohio State University. He calculated the value to the farmer of the enhancement of soil quality by carbon and the value to society for its role in ecosystem services. Soil Carbon performs many useful tasks for society, he said at the opening of the Conservation Agriculture Carbon Offset Consultation run by the UN FAO in Indiana, USA yesterday (28th Oct.)

These tasks include:

* reducing erosion
* reducing sedimentation of waterways
* improving water quality
* biodegrading pollutants
* mitigation of climate change

He includes in his calculation the quantity of N, P, K, Zn, Cu, etc. fixed and the water retained in Humus.

"We need to determine a just value for soil carbon because undervaluing a resource can lead to its abuse," he says. He asks the eternal question: "How can soil C be made a commodity that can be traded like any other product?"

He said the challenges ahead included:

1. Aggregating small landholders (around 1.5 acres) into meaningfyl transaction sizes
(eg. US$100,000).
2. Assessing the net increase in soils year-on-year over a country or district.
3. Calculating the social value of soil C.
4. Paying farmers a just and fair price.*
5. Minimising transaction costs.

"We should be making Agriculture a solution rather than a cause of environmental problems."

*The rates paid on the Chicago Climate Exchange are generally felt to be too small to attract rapid uptake by farmers.

PROFESSOR LAL WILL BE SPEAKING AT THE 'CARBON FARMING EXPO & CONFERENCE AT ORANGE NSW 18-19th NOVEMBER 2008.

(See www.carbonfarming.net.au for registration forms and program.)