Carbon farming: future perspectives and the contribution provided by digital innovations

Free Content Report Smart AgriFood Smart agrifood July 2025 23 pages pdf

What you will learn

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, with significant impacts on ecosystems, agriculture and food security. Carbon farming is gradually emerging as one of the solutions to counter climate change in agriculture through the implementation of practices that reduce emissions and increase soil carbon sequestration.

The report of the Smart AgriFood Observatory presents the results of research conducted in 2024 on this issue, aiming to draw an overview and identify the impact of digital innovations. First and foremost, analyses of carbon farming projects around the world and the value of carbon offsets generated are presented. The role of digital innovation is then addressed focusing in particular on sector startups.

Table of Contents

1
Background
2
The status of carbon farming projects at an international level
3
Carbon farming: opportunities for farmers
4
The role of digital computing and technology trends outlined by startups

Index of Graphs

1
The types of carbon farming projects in the agrifood sector developed around the world
2
Geographical distribution of carbon farming projects in the agrifood sector
3
The value of offsets sold on the voluntary carbon market from carbon farming projects in the agrifood sector
4
The spread of startups with digital carbon farming offerings throughout the stages of a project, and the technologies enabling the solutions offered

You will know how to answer these key questions

What is “carbon farming” and what mechanisms govern carbon farming projects in the agrifood sector?
What is the current status of carbon farming projects in the agrifood sector globally?
What is the value of the international carbon offsets generated by carbon farming projects market in the agrifood sector?
How do digital solutions play a role within typical carbon farming activities?
What are the digital innovation directions outlined by startups in the sector?

The methodology used in this Report

The main goal of research is to understand the status of carbon farming in the agrifood sector in terms of the regulatory scenario, existing applications and projects, opportunities for the supply chain (from farmers to processors to the extended supply chain, including technology, product and service providers) and the role of digital innovations. Research was therefore based on the use of different methodologies, including surveys (of carbon farming projects affecting the agriculture and agrifood sectors, the related carbon offsets generated, and startups with purely digital offerings active in the sector), direct interviews with farmers, trade associations, technology and service providers, and research centers, and analyses of academic and gray literature.

Authors