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The recent approval of the EU's certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming, and carbon storage in products is a significant milestone in the fight against climate change. This framework aims to establish clear standards for carbon removal activities, particularly those that store carbon for the long term, such as carbon farming, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (beccs), and carbon storage in products like wood-based materials.
This new regulation provides a voluntary system that will help incentivize high-quality carbon removal practices, ensuring that EU member states are better equipped to meet the ambitious climate neutrality targets set for 2050. It helps us at Scature to give more credibility to our certificates as the certifier we work with (ONCRA) is fully aligned with the EU framework of Carbon Removals.
But what does this mean for farmers who have already been implementing regenerative practices for years? And how can they benefit from this certification?
At its core, the EU framework establishes certification criteria for carbon removal activities that must meet four key requirements:
The framework will also establish a registry to ensure transparency and traceability of carbon removal credits, making it easier for businesses to engage in and support nature-based solutions.
A critical point in the certification process is the concept of additionality. For carbon removal activities to be certified, they must be additional—meaning they are beyond what is required by law and would not happen without the financial incentive provided by the certification.
For farmers already implementing regenerative practices, this creates a dilemma. These farmers are pioneers in sustainability, having already made the decision to invest in soil health, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. But because they have been using regenerative methods for years, their activities might be viewed as “business as usual,” and therefore, they may not automatically qualify for carbon removal certification.
Farmers who can show their regenerative practices have a wider systemic effect. They inspire other farmers, contribute to local biodiversity and often even transform the supply chain. While the concept of additionality presents a challenge, it also opens up several opportunities for regenerative farmers to benefit from carbon removal certification. Farmers who have already taken the lead in carbon farming can still obtain certification by expanding their practices or demonstrating additional efforts. Here’s how:
1. Scaling Regenerative Practices:
If a farmer extends regenerative agriculture to new areas—such as converting conventionally farmed land into regenerative systems—they may meet the additionality requirement. The broader their impact, the more likely they are to qualify for certification.
2. Innovative Practices:
Farmers can also look at integrating new techniques into their operations, such as mob grazing, silvopasture, flachenrotte or agroforestry. These methods not only boost biodiversity and soil health but also increase carbon sequestration, which can help meet the criteria for certification.
3. Financial Support for Scaling: Even farmers who are already practicing regenerative farming can benefit from the certification if they can demonstrate that the revenue from carbon removal credits is crucial for further expanding their operations. This financial incentive can help them scale their efforts and increase their carbon sequestration capacity.
By investing in these pioneering farmers through the purchase of their carbon credits, you’re not just removing your residual emissions—you’re actively supporting a shift toward a regenerative economy. What makes this investment even more impactful is that it works within your value chain. Rather than simply offsetting emissions, you're ensuring that, over time, these emissions are reduced through regenerative practices. It’s a double-positive investment: conventional emissions are phased out of your value chain, and each year, the regenerative farmer continues to store more carbon, further reducing the excess CO2.
4. The Role of Pioneers in Systemic Change
At Scature, we believe that regenerative farmers are at the forefront of an agricultural revolution. They represent the pioneers who are proving that it is possible to transition away from conventional, chemical-intensive farming systems toward methods that restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, retain and filter water, and sequester carbon.
It’s important to recognize that the success of these pioneers is not only about the carbon credits they generate—it’s about the systemic change they are helping to bring about. These farmers are essential to the larger transformation of the agricultural system, and we need to ensure that they receive the support they need to continue their work.
Through ONCRA, a carbon removal framework aligned with the EU Certification Framework, created especially for small scale farmers, you ensure yourself of high quality carbon removal certificates while supporting pioneers towards systemic system change. These farmers are enabled to receive financial incentives to expand their efforts, adopt new techniques, and lead the way in shifting agriculture toward a nature-positive economy. Their success will drive the larger-scale adoption of regenerative practices, which is essential to addressing climate change at the global level.