Remote Sensing Techniques to Measure, Report, and Verify Management Practices for Carbon Markets

Abstract

Carbon markets in agriculture present companies the ability to reduce their own environmental footprint through incentivizing producer sustainable practices. One important cornerstone of this market is the underlying credibility, in which many programs rely on a process of measurement, verification, and reporting management practices to estimate a net change in soil organic carbon with time. Although necessary, MVR techniques today can involve intensive data collection. This begs the question, is there a more scalable, accurate, and resource efficient way to conduct MVR processes? This research looks to analyze remote sensing techniques that may be beneficial to improve MVR processes and better model soil organic carbon changes. Current technological capabilities, accuracy of detection, modeled outcomes, producer motives, and future opportunities are all considered in the literature review.