Virtual Montana Organic Conference

Join Jeff Schahczenski, Program Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and Claire Lafave, Manager of Client Strategy with Native Energy for brief presentations of their work with carbon credits followed by a discussion of the opportunities and limitations for Montana producers. Bring your questions about carbon credits.

Schahczenski: Carbon Credit Schemes: Who Benefits?
Current schemes to pay farmers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and sequester soil carbon are varied, confusing and potentially of little benefit to organic farmer and ranchers. These schemes are not carbon markets, but rather offers by private entities usually through intermediaries to provide carbon offsets for their GHG emissions. Organic farmers and ranchers must be willing to make long-term, or even permanent, changes in not only practices but perhaps whole systems of production. These changes also need to be verified that they result in true offsets of GHG emissions and/or increase in soil carbon sequestration. The issues of verifiability, permanence, and additionality are critical to the success of agriculture’s role in being a part of a truly national carbon market and in the ultimate reduction of GHG emissions and increased carbon sequestration. To date, it is not clear nor certain that such efforts will lead to lasting change that can have significant impact on climate disruption.