MARCEL DREYER: Pilot carbon capture programme shows immense promise

SA is one of the top 15 emitters of carbon dioxide globally, largely due to our reliance on coal and other fossil fuels to generate electricity. Though our share of emissions seems small at 1.2% of the global total, according to the International Energy Agency, it is greatly concerning that our emissions have increased by 40% over the past two decades.

Agriculture is often mentioned as a net contributor to climate change. SA’s agriculture contributes 4.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) equivalent per year to the country’s total of 391.7 tonnes of CO₂. This ranks agriculture far behind electricity generation, industry, transport and even residential contributions to carbon emissions in the country.

Agriculture is also a front-line industry as established weather patterns become unpredictable. Less reliable rainfall, increased temperatures and more frequent occurrences of extreme weather events can have a devastating impact on farmers.

But, unlike other industries, agriculture can play a significant role in helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. One of the most promising areas for agriculture to contribute to this is by capturing carbon dioxide and sequestering the carbon in the soil. 

A recent pilot programme by UPL SA has shown the immense promise of this approach, with the trial project alone sequestering carbon equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of 4,000 South Africans. 

Natural carbon sink

Soil acts as a natural carbon sink via carbon sequestration, the absorption and storage of carbon in the soil, with agriculture being one of the primary segments that can positively influence this process. Practices that promote healthy, organic-rich soils can significantly enhance their carbon storage capacity. These practices may include adjusting current methods of farming, for example not overtilling or to encourage cover crops to grow in between commercial seasons.

Doing this maintains a healthy soil structure with active and alive microbiome of bacteria, fungi and insect life. This interaction between crop, soil and microbiome can lead to an ecosystem that captures and stores significant amounts of atmospheric carbon.

Importantly, the products used in agriculture can also contribute to maintaining and building this ecosystem. UPL SA, a provider of sustainable agriculture products, launched the CarbonSmart SA pilot programme in November 2022.

The impact of this pioneering project has been significant. The project, part of UPL’s broader carbon programme, is working to equip farmers with the necessary tools, technologies and knowledge to adopt sustainable agricultural practices and generate carbon credits.   

By integrating natural plant protection solutions and regenerative agriculture principles, the initiative seeks to enhance economic and environmental resilience through improvements in soil health, crop yields and income diversification.

The primary objectives of the project are to support pilot farmers with tailored technical assistance to aid their sustainability transitions and to collect the data necessary for the issuance of carbon credits.

Carbon credits are a market-based tool used to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They represent a ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent that has been reduced, sequestered or avoided. Carbon credits create a financial incentive for businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions and can create new revenue streams for farmers who are implementing sustainable practices and selling carbon credits. 

UPL SA has set an initial target of 10,000ha for this new carbon capture programme. Currently, the project has enrolled three maize farmers with a total of 2,884ha. 

A major focus this year has been on data collection for baseline setting and auditing for validation and verification. This involved assessing the baseline soil organic carbon stocks and reviewing the farmers’ past practices, current changes and planned future modifications.

One hundred and three physical soil samples were collected to ensure the accuracy of the soil organic carbon stock baselines. The collected data is undergoing independent third-party verification according to Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, ensuring that the generated carbon credits are genuine, additional and adhere to international best practices. 

The first auditing cycle will come to an end only later this year, but already indications are that the three pilot farms will have generated more than 20,000 carbon credits. This is about seven tonnes of CO₂ per hectare sequestered and/or avoided over the past three to four seasons. The first batch of carbon credits is expected to be issued in the final quarter of this year.   

By increasing the soil’s organic carbon the project has helped reduce atmospheric CO₂ levels and improve its water-holding capacity, making crops more resilient to heat stress during periods of low rainfall. Enhanced soil biology, water and nutrient-use efficiency have also been observed, contributing to better overall soil health, while the broader community and environment benefits from climate change mitigation and a more resilient food system.

The UPL CarbonSmart SA project is part of the Gigaton Carbon Goal, UPL's broader carbon programme, which aims to remove 1-billion tonnes of CO₂ from the atmosphere by 2040.

This initiative stems from the ultimate conviction that leveraging carbon credits can be great catalysts for the adoption of more sustainable practices that not only enhance SA farmers’ resilience to climate change, but will ultimately also create value for farmers, their soils, the environment and communities at large.

By supporting farmers in their transition to sustainable practices and leveraging carbon markets, UPL is driving meaningful environmental and economic change in the country. 

• Dreyer is regional head at UPL Africa.