Florida’s Agricultural Carbon Economy as Climate Action: The Potential Role of Farmers and Ranchers

An arena for carbon dioxide emissions trading, i.e. the buying and selling of emission allowances (credits or shares) and emission reductions for metric tons of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere.

The uptake and storage of carbon in a carbon sink, such as the oceans, or a terrestrial sink such as forests or soils, in order to keep the carbon out of the atmosphere.

Climate change may be one of the biggest issues facing Florida agriculture. Most countries are trying to slow global warming by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including through climate-smart agriculture (CSA). Climatesmart agriculture is an integrated approach to managing landscapes, including cropland, livestock, and forests, which addresses the interlinked challenges of food security and climate change.

For example, certain management practices can increase the amount of carbon stored, or sequestered, in the soil. Carbon credits, which can be traded, are a way to reward these management activities. But how can Florida agriculture contribute to carbon sequestration? How can a producer generate carbon credits? And how can they participate in carbon markets?To help answer these UF/IFAS Extension has formed a team of specialists: the Climate and Carbon Extension Educators (C2E2).

Understanding the science, mechanisms, and policy behind the carbon cycle and trading will help Florida’s agriculture better prepare for the carbon economy.