Carbon Markets Program for Forest Crops
A good example of how agricultural-dependent countries can help sequester carbon and thereby benefit from the concern about carbon dioxide emissions can be found in the Carbon2Markets Program. This program, developed by Michigan State University, is an agro-forestry land management program that encourages participation in the carbon credit finance markets by small landholders in developing countries. The Carbon2Markets program includes collaborative projects with farmers, researchers and government agencies in five developing Asian and African countries. MSU researchers help the farmer groups grow high-value forest crops such as jatropha or shea using sustainable methods. The carbon stored in the soil by the trees will be measured and recorded using high-resolution remote-sensing earth- observing satellites, web-GIS tools, and modeling. The measured offsets will allow the farmers to supplement their income by participating in the global carbon market. It would also be extremely helpful if developed nations worked to create the market for jatropha, shea, and other sustainably produced products.
