Consumers view agriculture as part of the solution to climate change rather than the problem, according to a recent study by Cargill. People who said that climate change was important to them also rated livestock and agriculture lowest in negative impact compared with other industries. More than one-third of respondents in Cargill’s global Feed4Thought survey expressed confidence in agriculture’s ability to limit its contributions to climate change.

At a farmer meeting I attended recently, the hot topic was carbon-reduction contracts. There was a lot of curiosity, confusion and skepticism among the farmers. Many questioned how various offerings on the market work, whether these tools make financial sense, and whether farmers should wait for more lucrative future possibilities. Many farmers asked about how carbon credits work. This article will provide some information about who generates, verifies and sells carbon credits.