Soil organic carbon certification standards: an analytic and critical review

A research study published in Agroecology and Safe Food System Transitions by Julien et al., reported that Soil organic carbon (SOC) certification standards aim to incentivize climate-friendly farming, but they are numerous, complex, and often hard for farmers to navigate.A review of 22 standards (16 offsetting, 6 practice-based) found limited transparency on costs and benefits, with offsetting schemes seen as too complex for smallholders and potentially detached from food production.Practice-based certification is more holistic but needs stronger transparency and verification to effectively support farmers and deliver real SOC sequestration benefits.

Source: https://www.asset-project.org/news/surviving-the-jungle-of-soil-organic-carbon-certification-standards-an-analytic-and-critical-review