BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Farmers with questions about carbon offsets, water quality credits and other aspects of the burgeoning ecosystems market can turn to the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) for assistance.

“We have some tools and reports that can help you achieve a general conservation plan, help you know what to expect and help you decide if these markets are right for your farm,” said Dr. Emily Bruner, ISAP midwest science director. “Depending on what level of interest you have in moving from practices to outcomes, there are a plethora of resources available.”

Bruner referred interested farmers and landowners to USDA’s COMET-Planner (www.comet-planner.com), which provides general estimates of the greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts of certain Natural Resources Conservation Service conservation practices. In addition, American Farmland Trust’s (AFT) CaRPE Tool (www.farmland.org/project/the-carpe-tool/) expands the utility of the data reported by COMET-Planner by integrating cropland and grazing land acreages and data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

Bruner further recommends consulting AFT’s recent Combating Climate Change on U.S. Cropland report, which highlights an application of the CaRPE Tool along with a summary of the technical capacity of cover cropping and no-till to sequester carbon and reduce GHG emissions. Additionally, AFT’s Guide to Water Quality, Climate, Social and Economic Outcomes Estimation Tools features 14 outcome estimation tools and two methods, according to Bruner.

The ISAP also provides an educational one-sheet for farmers and others who are confused by ecosystem market techno-jargon. Available for free download at www.ilsustainableag.org, ISAP’s Ecosystem Market Information sheet includes definitions of ecosystem markets, carbon offsets, water quality credits and more. 

“According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ecosystem services markets allow companies, communities and other beneficiaries to pay landowners and managers to protect, restore or mitigate for impacts to ecosystems. While many of the practices that offer the greatest ecosystem benefits are typically encouraged via traditional state and federal financial assistance programs, market payments are generated via outcomes verified at the field level and are not necessarily practice-specific,” the one-sheet reads, in part. “Current active and pilot markets exist for several ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions, water quality and quantity improvements, as well as wetland and habitat creation, among others.” 

Common questions asked by farmers include, “What is a carbon offset?” According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a carbon offset is defined as a measurable reduction of GHG emissions from an activity or project in one location that is used to compensate for emissions occurring elsewhere. Carbon offsets are typically measured in metric tonnes (2,205 pounds) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). 

Also, “What is a water quality credit?” The EPA defines a water quality credit as a unit of pollutant reduction usually measured in pounds equivalent. Credits can be generated by industrial and municipal point sources implementing new treatment technologies or via implementation of management practices that improve water quality above an established baseline. General water quality market information can be found on EPA’s Water Quality Trading Basics and Policy Resources page, the ISAP one-sheet noted.

The informational sheet also includes background on four current carbon market entities – Nori, Indigo Ag, Soil and Water Outcomes and the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium – along with information on contracts and payment schedules. These companies are among carbon markets actively recruiting farmers to implement new conservation-related practices on their lands, offering contracts ranging from one to ten years.

“This document is a great resource for those who are ready to dig into what the ecosystems market can have to offer,” Bruner said. “It will help you to discover what level of commitment and what market opportunities will best fit your farm operation.”

Producers with questions about ecosystem market opportunities are welcome to contact Jean Brokish, midwest program manager for the ISAP, at (217) 281-1822, or via email at ilsustainableag@gmail.com.

“The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland and promoting sound farming practices,” said Brokish, commenting during ISAP’s Farming for the Future: A Forum Exploring Ecosystem Markets webinar held Feb. 12, 2021. “There are a lot of questions about ecosystem markets right now. It’s a hot topic of discussion.”