[Pil-pc-oceania] Biofarms set for carbon profits (farmonline)

[Deb Guildner]

Biofarms set for carbon profits
PAULA THOMPSON
10/04/2008 9:31:00 AM
Snowtown farmer Brian Krieg has been able to increase the organic matter 
level in his soils by from between 1.5 to 1.8 per cent, to 2.5-3pc in three 
years by using biological farming techniques.
This means he could potentially earn $50-$100 a hectare if he became 
involved in carbon trading.

LawrieCo general manager, Andrew VanderSluys, said Mr Krieg's results prove 
agriculture has a real chance to be formally part of carbon trading schemes 
and not just ones aligned to forestry.

"The one great hurdle stopping agriculture from automatically becoming a 
major player in all future carbon trading schemes is the cyclical nature of 
organic soil carbon when cropping," Mr VanderSluys said.

"That is, you build it up but then you deplete it with continuous cropping. 
It is not permanently increased so it cannot be 'paid' as a carbon deposit."

But results from Mr Krieg's farm show he has been successful in building-up 
organic soil carbon - while continuously cropping - with no backward steps, 
proving permanent sequestration.

"This now paves the way for agriculture to prove it can permanently 
sequester Co2 from the atmosphere as fixed organic carbon in the soil," Mr 
VanderSluys said.

"Given the potential for millions of tonnes to be sequestered, agriculture 
will far outperform any other carbon sequestration concept in a timeframe 
faster than any other concept can perform.

"Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was recently on-record as saying he was 
interested and seeking some way for agriculture to be a part of a 
properly-convened trading scheme, given its absolutely enormous ability to 
vacuum Co2 out of the atmosphere.

"The only sticking point is how can we ensure the average organic carbon 
level keeps increasing in the face of continuous cropping."


SOURCE: Extract from full story published in Stock Journal, SA, Thursday 
April 10, 2008.