The Carbon Farming Program of Lithuania

The combination of implemented project activities will reduce the amount of released CO2 and N2O against common practices and sequester carbon in the soils, qualifying for CO2 removal.

The program fosters soil fertility restoration and improvement of cash-crop yields while building the resilience of the farming systems to the impacts of climate change and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural practices within the borders of the Republic of Lithuania. One of the project's main objectives is to reduce soil disturbance and introduce proper residue management. Changing tillage practices from intensive to minimal, no-till, or strip-till will improve soil organic carbon stock retention and accumulation, increase in organic matter, waterholding and nutrient capacity. The practice aims to keep soil surface covered to create the best environment for microbiom to grow.

Soil is recognised as the second largest carbon pool after the oceans and one of the crucial components of the biosphere, supplying primary ecosystem services and functions. The importance of Improved Agriculture Land Management is prominent to reduce excessive CO2 from the atmosphere and mitigating global warming to maintain temperatures 1.5 °C or 2 °C set by the targets of the Paris Agreement.

Improved agriculture land management refers to the techniques that focus on soil health and fertility by storing and increasing organic carbon, reducing anthropogenic gases from excessive use of chemical fertilisers in the context of the offered program, accelerating changes to pre-existing agricultural management practices, and adopting the methods listed in VM0042 methodology.

The Program aims to reward farmers for the positive results of fostering improved agricultural land management practices by sharing the revenue obtained from the sale of VCUs generated through verified greenhouse gas emissions reduction and removal projects. 

Project activities are helping farmers achieve balance in the triple bottom line - economic, environmental, and social. 

Moreover, the program intends to provide farmers with additional benefits like technical support, a set of MRV tools, professional agriculture staff consultations, training, sharing of best practices from the international network, updated science research, and good practices that shall facilitate the successful output in farm production and climate change mitigation.