Why “Carbon Freedom” Matters

By Kurt Alles

Carbon offsets are dominating the airwaves.

Many soil carbon programs have launched in the past year. And like most things, when comparing programs, the devil is in the details.

What practices are considered additional and generate credits? What are the ongoing data requirements of the program? How much is a carbon credit worth?

These are all important questions. The terms of the program will dictate how many credits you can generate, at what price, and from what practices.

But there are other, higher level questions for growers to consider. One question that we think is very important: how are these markets going to change?

In truth, no one knows exactly how these markets will look in just a few years time. Private voluntary markets are expected to grow rapidly, the White House plans to set up a carbon bank to pay farmers for sequestered carbon, and new food and agribusiness climate commitments are announced weekly.

The bottom line for the farm: carbon markets will change over time. And with that change will come different credit pricing and economics for your farm.

So when thinking about a program, think about what freedoms that program offers you. Who am I selling to? Am I locked into a price / credit? Can I benefit from the upsides in a changing market?

We designed our program with these questions in mind. Gradable CarbonTM was built to maximize “carbon freedom” for the farmer. Gradable offers a price floor of $20 / credit for growing seasons ‘19 and ‘20, but that’s not the price you have to sell your credits at. Farmers that participate in Gradable Carbon can “bank,” or wait to sell their credits for up to five years. That way, the value of your credits can grow as the market changes.

Freedom, as well as transparency and flexibility are key tenets of the Gradable Carbon offering.

Learn more at gradable.com/carbon.

Enrollment in Gradable Carbon is subject to eligibility requirements. Additional terms and conditions apply. Fees may apply for certain product and service offerings other than FBN membership.