Agroforestry for carbon farming certification: how to demonstrate co-benefits for biodiversity and ecosystems?

Policy Briefing 66 (v1) describes the clear benefits which agroforestry systems have for biodiversity and the protection of ecosystems. But how can these be demonstrated in carbon farming projects, without a monitoring complexity and timescale which makes the projects uneconomic? Biodiversity was the only one of the six “sustainability” areas recognised in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy which co-legislators of the Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming Certification Framework insisted must show a clear co-benefit. For the other five areas (mitigation, adaptation, water resources, pollution and the circular economy) it is sufficient that projects should “do no significant harm”. Several potential indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem health are suggested for inclusion in the Carbon Farming Delegated Act of the CRCF, due to be published in summer 2025  We also propose a structure for an Agroforestry Carbon Farming Management Plan which sets out the activities and potential monitoring steps to be undertaken in agroforestry carbon farming projects.