Saturday, October 13, 2012

Carbon Farming Solution Providers Remain Positive


Although we haven't been officially notified, it appears that there has been a change to the operation of the Positive and Negative Lists. We had encouraged several colleagues who have services and products which could fit into sequestration methodologies to make their offering meth-ready by submitting them for inclusion on the Positive List. We now understand that these practices and products will be batched together in categories. Look out if they try to convince carbon farming solution providers that all composts are the same. 
It turns out that a new, broader definition of Additionality is being worked on. Beyond the simplicity of the 5% limit, it appears there will be a ‘workability test’. This means that someone will assess each activity and pass judgement on carbon farming techniques that are not understood by non-carbon farmers let alone non-farmers. (Ie., the gap between two schools of thought: those who believe soil carbon deposition is limited by the amount of dry matter left after cropping or grazing and those who believe that root exudate can deliver significant amounts of carbon via microbial activity). Dr Peter McGee from Sydney University will reveal at the Carbon Farming Conference next week how the behaviour of fungi in soil peds can be the main catalyst for soil carbon sequestration.

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