In the News: Dairy Herd Management

April 9th, 2024

Dairy Herd Management, Check out the Full Article at the link below

Turning Sustainability into Profitability with Carbon

Excerpt:

Words of Advice

While carbon programs are an exciting venture that can provide economic incentives to become more sustainable, it is important to do your homework before diving all-in. Gieseke offers the following points to consider before agreeing to participate in a carbon program.

1. Does it seem too good to be true?

Carbon programs are not a get-rich-quick scheme. If a program is promising you the world and you have to do nothing in return, you should probably ask more questions or consider other options.

2. Is the organization requiring you to purchase something in order to participate or paying you in a credit to purchase something?

Just because it’s a trusted brand from which you’ve purchased crop inputs or services in the past doesn’t mean it’s qualified to deliver on a legitimate carbon project. Most claims that applying specific products will improve carbon sequestration are not backed by legitimate or peer-reviewed research that verifies creditable improvements.

3. Do you have enough information?

Ask some technical questions, even if you aren’t an expert. The salesperson’s responses should alert you right away if the program is legitimate and if they are truly knowledgeable in the carbon arena. Here are a few to consider:

• Are the credits issued through a registry?

• How are the credits verified?

• Who’s doing the verification?

• How are the credits issued, sold and accounted for?

• Who’s buying the credits? At what price?

• How much does this company keep versus how much you, the farmer, receive?

Barton, Trotter and Goeser concur with Gieseke’s advice, adding several other factors to consider.