Climate change is affecting farmer opportunities in carbon markets, according to Kansas State professor, Dr. Chuck Rice.
Rice says paid opportunities for carbon capture are in jeopardy as farmland experiences both ends of the extreme weather spectrum, whether that is drought or too much rain.
He says conservation practices are becoming increasingly more important to avoid soil erosion and carbon sequestration issues, emphasizing the need for cover to retain water to keep soil nutrients in.
When it comes to carbon markets, some livestock producers say they want to see expanded opportunities for their industry.
Homer Buell, a Nebraska rancher, tells Brownfield Ag News his ranch has been sequestering carbon for decades, but he says he wonders how these practices can be measured to determine pay-back opportunities.
Buell says quantifying changes in grazing management is the biggest challenge along with integrating data, but the extra revenue would be helpful in offsetting sky-high input costs.
