Carbon Farming

The Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Regulation (CRCF) (EU 2024/3012) establishes the EU’s first voluntary certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products. Carbon farming involves land management practices that increase carbon storage in soils and vegetation whilst reducing soil greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, the European Commission has approved three carbon farming methodologies: (i) Agriculture and agroforestry on mineral soils; (ii) Rewetting and restoration of peatlands and other organic soils and (iii) Afforestation.

For agriculture on mineral soils, eligible practices include:

• Maintaining year-round soil cover (e.g., cover crops, crop rotations, crop residue retention)
• Conservation tillage
• Converting cropland to grassland
• Improved grassland management (fodder crops, rotational grazing, mixed swards)
• Applying organic soil improvers and organic fertilisers

Farmers are incentivised to adopt these practices through participation in the CRCF voluntary framework, whereby verified improvements in carbon sequestration or net greenhouse gas emissions may generate carbon credits that can provide a financial return. Ireland is currently developing a National Carbon Farming Framework, aligned with the CRCF, to support national climate, water quality, and biodiversity objectives.