Cover Crops and No-till in the I-States: Non-Permanence and Carbon Markets

Abstract

Emerging voluntary carbon markets are attracting lots of attention in US agriculture, to the extent that agriculture carbon credits are usually referred to as the new cash crop. In essence, large companies would purchase carbon credits from multiple sources, including agriculture, to achieve their net zero emission goals. Farmers and ranchers would implement conservation practices that sequester carbon or provide other environmental benefits in exchange for compensation in cash or carbon credits depending on the carbon program. However, not all conservation practices are able to generate carbon credits.