CARBOND

Function

CARBOND is an innovative tool to quantify and value ecosystem services deriving from carbon sequestration in agricultural soils. Through advanced simulations, CARBOND optimizes soil management and incentivizes economic mechanisms that benefit agriculture and the environment.

CARBOND is designed to assess the climate impact and other Ecosystem Services derived from farming management practices. Specifically, it processes field plot data from the Southern Italy Living Lab to evaluate how regenerative practices can enhance carbon stocks. In addition, it estimates ecosystem services linked to Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) content, including SOC stock variation, erosion control, regulation of greenhouse gases, and the water and nutrient cycles.

Utility

CARBOND encourages remuneration mechanisms for farmers and facilitates the adoption of regenerative practices, contributing to the efficient management of territories. Here are some applications and utility:

Support to farmers in the adoption of sustainable practices and in the economic valorization of ecosystem services;

Enable a direct comparison between business-as-usual (BAU) farming and regenerative agriculture, highlighting key differences that can support MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) approaches.

Monitoring and territorial planning for public bodies and land managers;

Simulation of land use change scenarios to reduce erosion and environmental impacts;

Integration with EU policies and national plans on sustainability and environmental protection;

Application of carbon credits and regenerative agriculture in emerging markets.

Advantages of the solution:

Potential economical valorization of ecosystem services related to soil carbon, encouraging sustainable practices;

Integrated and user-friendly platform for farmer that offers simulations at particle scale;

Simplified use of the APEX model for accurate analyses of agricultural and environmental management;

Support for strategic decisions-making for public and private entities, aligning public and private interests;

Adaptability to different agricultural and territorial contexts, with the possibility of simulating land use change scenarios.

Beneficiaries:

Farmers, agronomists, technicians and consortia (POs) interested in enhancing ecosystem services;

Public bodies for territorial planning and management;

Environmental organizations and NGOs for conservation projects;

Carbon credit market operators and sustainability investors;

Other stakeholders in the agro-environmental sector.

Status

Completed and in use, with periodic updates for enhancements and bug fixes.

Last update: 13 January 2025

Access

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