Microsoft - Grazing carbon sequestration is better than we thought

[Frank-the-Wool]

Carbon trading to support agriculture is a new concept we all have to be very careful of.
To start with the methodology of measuring carbon and the available data is variable and inconsistent and until there is an accepted and accredited world standard then we need to be suspicious.
Loads of companies, especially those involved in the food supply chains believe they can have great net zero credentials but only if they use what the farmer has already achieved. The most efficient farms should have the best Co2 footprint that will be best placed to have increased value for both their product and the land to keep the carbon in.
There are companies out there looking to "help" with collecting data which they will take for free, but will actually have a lot of value for those companies concerned about there environmental credentials.

We need to be careful that countries and companies don't use these Co2 measurements to use as a trade advantage. For instance would a New Zealand lamb or Dairy product be better even though it has been transported half way round the world than milk or lamb from the farm down the road. Different ways of calculating the Co2 would probably be able to prove that either or both are better than the other.

If NZ or Australian farmers received large carbon payments this might actually subsidise their production systems and allow them to send cheap products to our markets.

 

[GC74]

I recall a pommie guys speech on YouTube saying a emission trading scheme is a waste of time, to have a scheme that will make any difference no one will be able to afford it, to have an affordable scheme it won't make any difference, went on to say lifting people's standard of living in poor countries which generally reduces pollution growth is a better way to go.

Soil carbon is an interesting one in my book, the best co2 for plant growth is the stuff biology releases but it consumes some soil carbon to do this so it never a plus plus situation. Soil carbon is good but if you have a lot you need a lot of nutrients too.

As for emissions I think we need to hunt where the ducks are, look at us in nz one suggestion is phasing out lpg in houses and BBQ. This is 0.25% of nz ghg or 0.000425% of the worlds ghg By 2035 they reckon through breeding we can reduce our sheeps methene emissions by 3% which is similar amount of the worlds ghg, I know it all adds up but it seems an odd place to start.

I wouldn't worry about nz farmers getting payments for carbon Shaw and cindy will never let that happen!!!!!