Farmer perspectives on carbon markets incentivizing agricultural soil carbon sequestration

This research paper investigates farmer perspectives on soil carbon offset programs in the United States. Through semi-structured interviews with conventional and organic farmers, both participating and not participating in carbon markets, the study finds that farmers primarily adopt soil carbon sequestration practices due to economic profitability and long-term soil health, not financial incentives from carbon credits. Carbon credit payments are viewed as a bonus rather than a primary motivator. Farmers across both groups express concerns about the complexity, paperwork burden, and unpredictability of carbon credit programs, along with biases favoring large-scale agriculture and issues of additionality. The findings highlight challenges in ensuring true additionality in carbon offset markets and suggest a disconnect between the market's design and farmers' motivations.

Clare T. Barbato, Aaron L. Strong