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AGRICULTURE’S Chapter 2

SUSTAINABLE

FUTURE: Fate of climate

Feeding more payment plans is in

while using less
hands of researchers

By Steve Davies

A dizzying array of ongoing research projects, doesn’t end up holding up to scientific scrutiny.
with sponsors ranging from the Energy Depart- … It’s going to be a black eye,” said Cannon
ment to multinational food industry giants, will Michael, a farmer in California’s Central Val-
go a long way toward determining whether ley who is participating in several research proj-
carbon credit markets can become a reliable, ects with scientists at the University of Califor-
meaningful source of income for farmers. nia-Davis and elsewhere.
The researchers are working feverishly to pro- Michael, who produces cotton, tomatoes, mel-
duce data on how much carbon-saving farm ons, herbs and other crops, says there has to be
practices can reduce emissions and whether proof of how much farming practices such as
farmers can make a profit carrying them out. reduced tillage actually increase soil carbon and
reduce emissions. “You’re going to have to really
The ultimate goal: Provide the data needed to be backed up with good science,” he said.
put a price on the greenhouse gases farmers can
keep out of the air, allowing those reductions to To increase the carbon content of his soil,
then be sold as carbon credits. Oil and gas com- Michael is using reduced tillage as well as a
panies as well as airlines are potential buyers of microbial soil treatment known as BEAM com-
the credits, in addition to food companies and post (BEAM stands for biologically enhanced
others that are counting on purchasing credits to agricultural management).
offset their emissions. Planting cover crops, a practice being heav-

“These markets are going to collapse if they’re ily promoted to increase soil carbon in other
based on assumptions or information that parts of the country, doesn’t work as well in the

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