Carbon farming, crop yield and biodiversity in mediterranean europe: the dose makes the poison?

A group of experts has been discussing for two years antagonisms and synergies between carbon farming, agricultural productivity and biodiversity to advise the European Commission on the best way to implement the “Union certification framework for permanent carbon removals, carbon farming and carbon storage in products”. We summarize here our conclusions about opportunities and barriers for carbon farming under Mediterranean conditions. Inspired by the points raised by the expert team, we discuss the scientific bases for trade-offs between carbon farming and crop yield, we review the main obstacles for carbon farming when water is scarce, and the availability of organic amendments is restricted. We also point to the effects of spatial scale on the relationship between biodiversity and food production.