{"id":7963,"date":"2023-02-27T05:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T05:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/"},"modified":"2025-04-02T18:08:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T18:08:01","slug":"fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age","status":"publish","type":"rbc_tl","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","title":{"rendered":"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"discovery\" class=\"anchor flex pad-b-0 pad-l-0 mob-pad-l econhomepage\">\n<div class=\"carousel-wpr top-controls mob-mar-t\" role=\"region\" data-visible-slide=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flex pad-l-hlf mob-pad-l-qtr\" style=\"align-items: center;justify-content: space-between\">\n<p class=\"h2 mar-b-0\"><b>The Discovery<\/b><\/p>\n<div class=\"carousel-ctrl mar-t-hlf\">\n<div class=\"carousel-indicators\"><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"carousel-prev\">Go to previous slide<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"carousel-next\">Go to next slide<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-inner eh-wpr\">\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_1\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 500\"><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Canada\u2019s vast area of cultivated agricultural land is the 12th largest globally.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"width: 500;height: 500;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-01-1.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_1\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 style=\"font-weight: 500\"><\/h4>\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>This soil could be a powerful \u201ccarbon sink\u201d.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Soil has the potential to store or \u201csequester\u201d carbon, pulling it out of the atmosphere where it contributes to climate change. Canada\u2019s agricultural land could sequester between 35MT and 38MT of annual GHG emissions\u2014cutting about 25% of potential 2050 emissions, according to our estimates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-02-3.png');width: 3500px;height: 500px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-02-3.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_3\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>By using sustainable practices, farmers can unlock this potential, earn money and protect water, land and air.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Through practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage and nutrient management, farmers not only increase soil carbon, they also improve water and air quality and preserve biodiversity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-03-2.png');width: 500px;height: 500px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-03-2.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_4\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>The challenge: soil sequestration on Canadian cropland has fallen by 58%.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Degradation from heavy tillage and practices like mono-cropping (where a single crop is grown year after year on the same land), have halved the amount of carbon stored annually in agricultural soil over the last two decades.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-04-1.png');width: 500px;height: 500px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-04-1.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_5\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>And major financial barriers are deterring farmers from adopting sustainable practices.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Sustainable farming eventually enhances yields. But upfront costs (including for new equipment) and the potential for initial yield loss can pose significant obstacles. This is particularly true for farmers operating on slim margins.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-05-1.png');width: 500px;height: 500px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-05-1.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_6\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>To accelerate adoption of sustainable farming, we\u2019ll need more money.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Financial incentives can boost farm income and assist producers with the costs associated with the transition. Storing 38MT of carbon in soil per year will require incentives of up to $4 billion annually. To secure those funds, we\u2019ll need to find the right financial instruments and funding sources.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-06.png');width: 300px;height: 300px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-06.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_7\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>Insetting and government funding are currently the best mechanisms to inject this capital.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">Carbon offsets will also be important. But uncertainties about systems to measure, report and verify soil carbon (MRVs) persist across all financial instruments. And Canada&#8217;s public funding for sustainable agriculture lags peer economies.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-07.png');width: 300px;height: 300px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-07.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"carousel-item\">\n<div id=\"tab-0_7\" class=\"tab-pane\" role=\"tabpanel\">\n<div class=\"callout horizontal\">\n<div class=\"callout-content\">\n<div class=\"callout-copy\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t mar-b-0\" style=\"color: #003168\"><b>More reliable measurement, reporting and verification systems (MRVs) will provide the foundation for better insetting and offsetting.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p class=\"centered mar20top\" style=\"color: #000000\">But significant obstacles to MRVs persist, including the lack of standardization.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"callout-img\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-08.png');width: 300px;height: 300px;align-self: center\" data-img=\"https:\/\/thoughtleadership.rbc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Discovery-08.png\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Section 2 --><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"betting\" class=\"anchor\"><span style=\"color: #000000\"><b>Betting on the farm:<\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Leveraging soil to fight climate change<\/h5>\n<p>For generations, Canadian farmers have been financially rewarded for the food they produce. The more bushels of wheat a farmer grows\u2014and the greater price that commodity fetches on markets\u2014the larger the return will be.<\/p>\n<p>Yet by embracing sustainable practices, farmers also hold unparalleled power to cut emissions, and to improve air and water quality, soil health and biodiversity.<\/p>\n<p>Tapping that power will require capital. While the current potential of sustainable agriculture is robust, the economics underpinning it are not. We\u2019ll need to price in sustainable practices while supplying the funding and financial instruments to de-risk and incentivize their use. And we\u2019ll need to rethink an economic system that wholly rewards agricultural <em>production<\/em> while placing little value on <em>preservation<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>These efforts\u2014supported by national MRV protocols, and cross-industry partnerships\u2014can be the foundation of a world-leading sustainable agriculture strategy.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f8f9;padding: 25px;margin-top: 30px\">\n<h2 class=\"anchor\" id=\"  \"><!-- --><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"anchor\" id=\"  \">   <\/h2>\n<p><!-- only need one of these--><\/p>\n<div class=\"eh-wpr\">\n<div class=\"col-10 col-xs-10\">\n<p><b style=\"color: #003168\">What are MRVs? <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #003168\"><b>Measurement:<\/b> A tool monitors reduction of emissions by farming activity.<br \/>\n<b>Reporting:<\/b> The measurement is submitted to a third party verifier.<br \/>\n<b>Verification:<\/b> The third party verifier certifies emissions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"centered\">Agriculture could be a much larger source of emissions reduction and removal<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul class=\"ag_infograph\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45076\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Hero-Infographic-A-EN-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"630\" \/><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45075\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Hero-Infographic-B-EN-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"540\" height=\"630\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;margin-top: 20px;font-size: 13px;font-weight: 400\">Source: Elis (2021). BCG Analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f8f9;padding: 25px;margin-top: 40px\">\n<h2 class=\"anchor\" id=\"  \"><!-- --><\/h2>\n<h2 class=\"anchor\" id=\"  \">   <\/h2>\n<p><!-- only need one of these--><\/p>\n<div class=\"eh-wpr\">\n<div class=\"col-10 col-xs-10\">\n<p><b style=\"color: #003168\">What are insets and offsets? <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #003168\"><b>Insets:<\/b> Organizations directly avoid or reduce emissions within their own supply chains.<br \/>\n<b>Offsets:<\/b> Companies or individuals purchase tradeable credits generated by renewable energy or other emissions-reducing projects. This credit negates or offsets the same amount of carbon emissions created by the buyer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000;margin-bottom: 50px\" align=\"center\" width=\"10%\" \/>\n<p><!-- Section 3 --><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"hitting\" class=\"anchor\"><span style=\"color: #000000\"><b>Hitting pay dirt:<\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Three financial pathways to a more sustainable agriculture sector<\/h5>\n<p>In this paper, we examine three financial instruments that could boost carbon storage in soil and create other benefits: carbon offsets, carbon insets, and government funding. All of these tools are currently operating at varying scales. However, their potential to make an immediate impact on sustainable farming ranges.<\/p>\n<p>Insetting is currently the most effective mechanism to incentivize farmers to adopt new practices. Though broad consumer demand for sustainable food has yet to develop, agri-food companies have displayed a willingness to pay more for sustainable inputs as a way to reduce emissions in their own supply chains.<\/p>\n<p>Government support will also be critical in the early days of this transition. Yet as it stands, Canadian government funding is lagging that of its global peers. This discrepancy could put Canadian farmers at a disadvantage as sustainable and reliant food systems become more important in the global marketplace. In all cases, reliable measurement, reporting and verification systems (MRVs) are key. Offsets are particularly reliant on MRV trials to build a foundation of market integrity and trust. Developing these systems will take time.<\/p>\n<div id=\"carbon\" class=\"anchor project-break\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45286\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Carbon-Offsets-Icon.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"417\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center font-lar\" id=\"1-carbon-offsets\">1 <span style=\"color: #aaba0a\">|<\/span> Carbon Offsets<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"project-break-list\">\n<li>Short-term: <strong>Challenged<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Long-term: <strong>Important<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[inpage-tabs id=&#8221;2&#8243; background_colour=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221;]<br \/>\n<!-- Section 4 --><\/p>\n<h5 class=\"mar-t-0 text-center\" style=\"color: #000000\"><b>How do carbon offsets work?<\/b><\/h5>\n<div class=\"object-box\">\n<ul class=\"object-content-box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-43742\" style=\"width: 128px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/tknafa0E.png\" alt=\"...\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Projects<\/strong><br \/>\nProjects reduce or remove GHG emissions (for example, through direct air capture, reforestation, sustainable ag practices). Once the projects are validated, credits are issued and then verified by a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> party auditor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"object-box\">\n<ul class=\"object-content-box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-43742\" style=\"width: 128px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/fkHvCj0U.png\" alt=\"...\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Offsetting<\/strong><br \/>\nOrganizations or individuals can purchase external credits to offset their emissions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #e7eef1;padding: 25px\">\n<h5 class=\"mar-t-0 text-center\" style=\"color: #000000\"><b>For farmers, the return on offsets doesn\u2019t add up<\/b><\/h5>\n<p>A farmer using sustainable practices receives roughly $8 to $13 in carbon credits per acre. But due to imperfect science and shaky measurement, a large portion of these credits may be withheld. That&#8217;s before multiple project costs deduct as much as 60% (35% for costs, 25% for fees) and another 20% for insurance. In the end, the farmer&#8217;s share is just $2 to $4 per acre, a sliver of total farm receipts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"font-size: 20px\"><strong>Poor revenue<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"revenue_box\">\n<li class=\"box_text\">~$8-$13<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44703\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Coin-01.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"255\" height=\"157\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Carbon credits per acre<\/b><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3e2fa;padding: 25px\">\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"font-size: 20px\"><strong>Large deductions<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"deductions_box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44714\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/icon-01.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><b>Costs &#8211; 35%<\/b><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44715\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/icon-02.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><b>Fees &#8211; 25%<\/b><\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44713\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/icon-03.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><b>Insurance &#8211; 20%<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #006ac3;padding: 25px\">\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"font-size: 20px;color: #fff\"><strong>Weak incentive<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"incentive_box\">\n<li class=\"box_text_incentive\" style=\"color: white\">~$2-$4<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44737\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Coin-02.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"110\" height=\"121\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Carbon credit per acre after deductions<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-family: arial;color: #ffffff;font-size: 13px;text-align: center;margin-top: 50px\">Source: Research on North American MRV trials; BCG analysis<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 style=\"color: #003168;margin-bottom: 0\"><strong>The quality of carbon credits hinges on measurement<\/strong><\/h4>\n<h5><strong>3 Main Types of MRVs<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>[inpage-tabs id=&#8221;3&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"color: #003168;margin-bottom: 0\"><strong>Framework to identify high quality MRVs<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Though every MRV is different, the most effective deploy the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"tablesaw-bar tablesaw-mode-swipe tablesaw-all-cols-visible\" aria-controls=\"swipe-table\">\n<div class=\"tablesaw-advance\"><a class=\"btn tablesaw-nav-btn tablesaw-btn btn-micro left disabled\" href=\"#\">Previous column<\/a><a class=\"btn tablesaw-nav-btn tablesaw-btn btn-micro right disabled\" href=\"#\">Next column<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tablesaw-advance minimap\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<ul class=\"tablesaw-advance-dots\">\n<li><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<table id=\"swipe-table\" class=\"table-swipe table-striped table-persist text-center table-image tablesaw tablesaw-swipe init\" data-tablesaw-mode=\"swipe\" data-tablesaw-minimap=\"\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: none\">\n<th class=\"w-60 text-center bg_blue tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\" style=\"color: white\" scope=\"col\" data-tablesaw-priority=\"persist\">MRV Function<\/th>\n<th class=\"text-center bg_bronze\" scope=\"col\">Bronze<\/th>\n<th class=\"text-center bg_sliver\" scope=\"col\">Silver<\/th>\n<th class=\"text-center bg_gold\" scope=\"col\">Gold<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">Soil sampling<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">Process-based models<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">At least two 3rd party certifiers to audit findings<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">Remote sensing<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">Assessment of life cycle inputs on farm or more than three best management practices<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"w-50 text-center bg_blue_lit sp-fw tablesaw-swipe-cellpersist\">Coverage of more than five field crops<\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_bronze_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_blue_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/X.png\" alt=\"cross\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<td class=\"bg_gold_lit\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Checkmark.png\" alt=\"Checkmark\" width=\"75\" height=\"75\" \/><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000\" align=\"center\" width=\"10%\" \/>\n<p><!-- Section 5 --><\/p>\n<div id=\"insetting\" class=\"anchor project-break\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/icon_cash.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"186\" height=\"153\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center font-lar\" id=\"2-insetting\">2 <span style=\"color: #aaba0a\">|<\/span> Insetting<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"project-break-list\">\n<li>Short-term: <strong>Ready<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Long-term: <strong>Important<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[inpage-tabs id=&#8221;4&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h5 class=\"mar-t-0 text-center\" style=\"color: #000000\"><b>How sustainably-grown foods can cut supply chain emissions<\/b><\/h5>\n<div class=\"object-box\">\n<ul class=\"object-content-box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-43742\" style=\"width: 128px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/05-Inset-1.png\" alt=\"...\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Farmers<\/strong><br \/>\nA network of farmers within a supply chain are selected to farm sustainably by incorporating new practices or expanding them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"object-box\">\n<ul class=\"object-content-box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-43742\" style=\"width: 128px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/03-Investors.png\" alt=\"...\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Companies<\/strong><br \/>\nCompanies pay farmers more for this food, which helps compensate them for the costs and risk associated with transitioning to sustainable farming. Companies may absorb the added cost of this or pass it on to consumers in the form of a higher price or \u201cgreen premium\u201d.The process helps companies avoid or reduce Scope 3 emissions in their supply chains and better prepares for them for future regulations that may be more stringent. These supply chain initiatives can also be used for marketing purposes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"object-box sp-bot-border mar20bot\">\n<ul class=\"object-content-box\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-43742\" style=\"width: 128px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/07-Inset-3.png\" alt=\"...\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" \/><\/li>\n<li><strong>Consumers<\/strong><br \/>\nConsumers have the option to purchase products that have been grown sustainably.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #c3e2fa;padding: 25px\">\n<h5 class=\"mar-t-0 text-center mar20bot\"><strong>Most consumers won\u2019t buy for sustainability alone<sup>1<\/sup><\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"sustainability_box\">\n<ul class=\"ag_list\">\n<li class=\"per_cent\">10%<\/li>\n<li class=\"per_cent_text\">of consumers are buying just to \u201csave the planet\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sustainability_box\">\n<ul class=\"ag_list\">\n<li class=\"per_cent mar40top\">10-30%<\/li>\n<li class=\"per_cent_text\">of consumers are willing to buy when sustainability<sup>2<\/sup> is linked to other benefits such as health, safety and quality.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sustainability_box\">\n<ul class=\"ag_list\">\n<li class=\"per_cent mar40top\">40-60%<\/li>\n<li class=\"per_cent_text\">of consumers express concern for sustainability but are limited by barriers<sup>3<\/sup> like income, cost and convenience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px;font-weight: 400;line-height: 1.2\">1. Including shoppers often\/very often purchasing sustainably and considering themselves as sustainable; 2. Including shoppers that sometimes buy sustainably; 3. Includes non-buyers that would be willing to pay a &gt;5% premium at parity of other benefits.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #e7eef1;padding: 25px\">\n<h5 class=\"mar-t-0 text-center\"><strong>But half of companies, including those in agri-food, will pay more<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"grid-wpr eh-wpr\">\n<div class=\"col-8 fl\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44872\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/08-Insetting-Chart-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"358\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px;font-weight: 400;line-height: 1.2;text-align: center\">Source: BCG sustainability consumer survey (June 2022);<br \/>\nBCG project experience and analysis; BCG-WEF Report (2023)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-4 fl pad10lr\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>Reasons given to pay green premium<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"list_green_pre\">\n<li>Meet sustainability commitments (e.g. insets)<\/li>\n<li>Gain advantage in faster growing markets<\/li>\n<li>Secure supply ahead of future scarcity<\/li>\n<li>Prepare for government regulation, (e.g. carbon price)<\/li>\n<li>Capture customers willing to pay for and\/or willing to stop buying for sustainability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000\" align=\"center\" width=\"10%\" \/>\n<p><!-- Section 6 --><\/p>\n<div id=\"funding\" class=\"anchor project-break\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44982\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/icon_hand.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"160\" height=\"181\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center font-lar\" id=\"3-government-funding\">3 <span style=\"color: #aaba0a\">|<\/span> Government funding<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<ul class=\"project-break-list\">\n<li>Short-term: <strong>Ready<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Long-term: <strong>Important<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[inpage-tabs id=&#8221;5&#8243;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-wpr mar-t-1 pad-tb pad-lr text-center bg-lightblue\">\n<h5 style=\"color: #000000\"><strong>Canada\u2019s funding for sustainable agriculture lags peers<\/strong><\/h5>\n<div class=\"col-4 flex p-all\" style=\"padding: 30px\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44351\" style=\"width: 100px;height: 100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/USA-1.png\" alt=\"USA\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"width: 100%\">United States<\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"width: 100%\">Total farm receipts<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-grey fw-2\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px\">$545B<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/arrow_down.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\">Ag support as a % of receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 38px\"><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #003168\">$64B<\/span><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #0091da\">|<\/span><span class=\" fw-4\" style=\"color: #0051a5\">12%<\/span><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" style=\"margin: 20px 0\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"line-height: 1.2\">Climate funding as a<br \/>\n% of total farm receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px;margin-top: 25px\"><span style=\"color: #0051a5\">~1.7%<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px;line-height: 1.3;font-weight: normal\">Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes $27 billion for agricultural conservation and stewardship through 2031<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-4 flex p-all\" style=\"padding: 30px\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44353\" style=\"width: 100px;height: 100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Europe.png\" alt=\"Europe\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"width: 100%\">European Union<\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"width: 100%\">Total farm receipts<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-grey fw-2\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px\">$699B<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/arrow_down.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\">Ag support as a % of receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 38px\"><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #003168\">$122B<\/span><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #0091da\">|<\/span><span class=\" fw-4\" style=\"color: #0051a5\">18%<\/span><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" style=\"margin: 20px 0\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"line-height: 1.2\">Climate funding as a<br \/>\n% of total farm receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px;margin-top: 25px\"><span style=\"color: #0051a5\">~1.8%<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px;line-height: 1.3;font-weight: normal\">Common Agricultural Policy includes about $224 billion through 2027 for \u2018climate-relevant initiatives\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-4 flex p-all\" style=\"padding-bottom: 30px\">\n<div style=\"padding: 30px 10px 30px 10px;background: #fff\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44351\" style=\"width: 100px;height: 100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/Canada-2.png\" alt=\"Canada\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-center\" style=\"width: 100%\">Canada<\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"width: 100%\">Total farm receipts<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-grey fw-2\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px\">$83B<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/arrow_down.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\">Ag support as a % of receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 38px\"><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #003168\">$8B<\/span><span class=\" fw-5\" style=\"color: #0091da\">|<\/span><span class=\" fw-4\" style=\"color: #0051a5\">10%<\/span><\/p>\n<hr class=\"f-w\" style=\"margin: 36px 0 20px 0\" \/>\n<p class=\"font-sm sp-no-margin fw-4\" style=\"line-height: 1.2\">Climate funding as a<br \/>\n% of total farm receipts<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-bold text-blue\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 40px;margin-top: 25px\"><span style=\"color: #0051a5\">~0.5%<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px;line-height: 1.3;font-weight: normal;margin-top: 27px\">The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership could commit $500M in added funding, and $800 million in On-Farm Climate Action Fund &amp; Ag Clean Tech funding<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"fw-5\" style=\"width: 100%;font-size: 13px;font-weight: 400;text-align: center;margin-top: 20px\">For more information see appendix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<hr style=\"color: #000000\" align=\"center\" width=\"10%\" \/>\n<p><!-- Section 7 --><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"reco\" class=\"anchor\"><span style=\"color: #000000\"><b>Recommendations: <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<h5>Harvesting change<\/h5>\n<div class=\"harvesting-change\">[inpage-tabs id=&#8221;6&#8243;]<\/div>\n<p><!-- Glossary--><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"glossary\" class=\"anchor\"><\/h3>\n<div id=\"accordion-glossary\" class=\"accordion mar-tb-0\">\n<div class=\"accordion-panel\">\n<p><button id=\"accordion-titleGlossary\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordionGlossary\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordionGlossary\"><b>Glossary of sustainable farming practices<\/b><\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"accordionGlossary\" class=\"collapse-content collapse\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-titleGlossary\">\n<div class=\"collapse-inner\"><b>Cover crops |<\/b> Crops, such as clover, can be grown in the off-season after cash crops, increasing carbon storage &amp; reducing soil erosion<b>Reduced Tillage |<\/b> Reducing soil disturbance by limiting tilling in croplands improves carbon storage<\/p>\n<p><b>Nutrient Management |<\/b> Applying fertilizer from the right source, at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place, using as little as required<\/p>\n<p><b>Silvopasture<\/b> Integrate trees, forage, and livestock grazing in the same area to improve soil nutrients and livestock wellness<\/p>\n<p><b>Crop rotations |<\/b> Planting different crops sequentially to improve soil health and nutrients, while combating pests and weeds<\/p>\n<p><b>Manure Management |<\/b> Manure can be turned into energy through anaerobic digestion or used as a natural fertilizer<\/p>\n<p><b>Biochar |<\/b> Converting crop residue (i.e., waste) to charcoal; when used as a fertilizer, it can increase carbon storage<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h4><b>For more, go to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/community-social-impact\/environment\/index.html\">rbc.com\/climate<\/a>.<\/b><\/h4>\n<div class=\"rds-callout-white\" style=\"border: 1px solid #c4c8cc\">\n<div class=\"rds-gcw\">\n<div class=\"img w-mob-100\" style=\"vertical-align: top\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-41460\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/download-image-260-x-173-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"173\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"rds-inline pad-hlf\" style=\"vertical-align: top\">\n<h4 class=\"mar-t\">Download the Report<\/h4>\n<p><a class=\"btn tertiary\" role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/11\/Ag-Capital-PDF.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-dig-id=\"TNL_211020_1\" data-dig-category=\"TNL Economics\" data-dig-action=\"mid-funnel click\" data-dig-label=\"Ag Tech Report Final\">Download<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- Section 13 --><\/p>\n<div class=\"mar-t-dbl mar-b-dbl\" style=\"background-color: #016ac3;padding: 25px;color: white\">\n<h4 id=\"contributors\" class=\"anchor\">Contributors:<\/h4>\n<p style=\"color: white\"><b>Lead author: Youssef Aroub,<\/b> Project Leader, Boston Consulting Group<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: white\"><u><b>Boston Consulting Group<\/b><\/u><br \/>\n<b>Keith Halliday,<\/b> Director, Centre for Canada\u2019s Future<br \/>\n<b>Chris Fletcher,<\/b> Managing Director and Partner<br \/>\n<b>Thomas Foucault,<\/b> Managing Director and Partner<br \/>\n<b>Shalini Unnikrishnan,<\/b> Managing Director and Partner<br \/>\n<b>Sonya Hoo,<\/b> Managing Director and Partner<br \/>\n<b>Pilar Pedrinelli,<\/b> Consultant<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: white\"><u><b>RBC<\/b><\/u><br \/>\n<b>Darren Chow,<\/b> Senior Manager, Digital Media<br \/>\n<b>Naomi Powell,<\/b> Managing Editor, Economics and Thought Leadership<br \/>\n<b>Mohamad Yaghi,<\/b> Agriculture and Climate Policy Lead<br \/>\n<b>Colin Guldimann,<\/b> Economist<br \/>\n<b>Trinh Theresa Do,<\/b> Senior Manager, Thought Leadership Strategy<br \/>\n<b>Zeba Khan,<\/b> Digital Publishing<br \/>\n<b>Aidan Smith-Edgell,<\/b> Research Associate<br \/>\n<b>Shiplu Talukder<\/b>, Digital Publishing Specialist<br \/>\n<b>Gwen Paddock,<\/b> Director, Sustainability &amp; Climate \u2013 Agriculture<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: white\"><u><b>Arrell Food Institute, University of Guelph<\/b><\/u><br \/>\n<b>Evan Fraser,<\/b> Director<br \/>\n<b>Ibrahim Mohammed,<\/b> Ph.D. Candidate, Environmental Sciences<br \/>\n<b>Deus Mugabe,<\/b> Ph.D. Candidate, Plant Agriculture<br \/>\n<b>Lisa Ashton,<\/b> Ph.D. Candidate<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Acknowledgements--><\/p>\n<div id=\"accordionSetAcknowledgements\" class=\"accordion mar-tb-0\">\n<div class=\"accordion-panel\">\n<p><button id=\"accordion-titleAcknowledgements\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordionAcknowledgements\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSetAcknowledgements\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordionAcknowledgements\">Acknowledgements<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"accordionAcknowledgements\" class=\"collapse-content collapse\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-titlAcknowledgements3\">\n<div class=\"collapse-inner\">\n<p>In addition to those cited in this report, we\u2019d like to thank the following individuals for their insights:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"disc pad-l\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul class=\"disc pad-l\">\n<li>Alison Sunstrum, Founder, CEO CNSRVX-Inc<\/li>\n<li>Dan Lussier, Director, Canadian Agri-Food Data Initiative<\/li>\n<li>Tim Faveri, Global VP, Sustainability &amp; Stakeholder Relations<\/li>\n<li>Michelle Nutting, Director, Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability, Nutrien Ltd.<\/li>\n<li>Karen Haugen-Kozyra, President Viresco Solutions<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Brian McConkey, Chief Scientist, Viresco Solutions<\/li>\n<li>Anthony D\u2019Agostino, Director \u2013 Commodity Markets, RBC<\/li>\n<li>Marty Seymour, COO, Carbon RX<\/li>\n<li>Gillian Flies, Co-Founder, Farmers for Climate Solutions<\/li>\n<li>Matt Sawyer, fourth generation farmer, Acme, Alberta<\/li>\n<li>Doug Whitehead, crop farmer, Manitoba<\/li>\n<li>Julia Maria-Becker, Senior Manager, Sustainable Enterprise Solutions, RBC<\/li>\n<li>Janay Meisser, Director of Innovation, United Farmers of Alberta<\/li>\n<li>Derek Eaton, Director of Industrial Policy, The Transition Accelerator<\/li>\n<li>Ryan Cooke, Research Associate, Smart Prosperity Institute<\/li>\n<li>David Hughes, President and CEO, The Natural Step Canada<\/li>\n<li>Kristjan Hebert, Managing Partner, Hebert Grain Ventures<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"appendix\" class=\"anchor\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff\"><b>Appendix <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<div id=\"accordionSetAppendix\" class=\"accordion mar-tb-0\" style=\"border-top: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<div class=\"accordion-panel\" style=\"border-top: 1px solid #ffffff\">\n<p><button id=\"accordion-titleAppendix\" class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#accordionAppendix\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-parent=\"#accordionSetAppendix\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"accordionAppendix\">Appendix: Where Canada sits in a global landscape<\/button><\/p>\n<div id=\"accordionAppendix\" class=\"collapse-content collapse\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"accordion-titlAppendix3\">\n<div class=\"collapse-inner\"><b>Canada<\/b><br \/>\nThe Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership includes $3 billion over 5 years. About $1 billion is through federal programs and activities, of which $690M goes to innovative and sustainable growth including the AgriScience program to tackle pre-commercial and other research. About $2 billion is dedicated to supporting sustainable agriculture, equipment purchases, training, and scientific research.The $200 million On-Farm Climate Action Fund was distributed through 12 organizations across Canada. These will dispense money to help farmers adopt sustainable practices. Provinces are also establishing or managing their own carbon trading systems where producers can sell agricultural carbon credits. Alberta and Quebec\u2019s offset systems are well established, while Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan are in the process of launching their own approaches.<b>United States<\/b><br \/>\nThe Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest piece of federal legislation to ever address climate change, increasing the pool of funding for conservation efforts by US$20 billion. It expands the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program which seeks to remove 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. It has allocated US$3 billion to 141 projects on crop and livestock farms across all 50 states and Puerto Rico. And it involves collaboration among more than 100 universities, 20 tribes and tribal groups, and 60,000 farms, on over 25 million acres of working land. The project will remove the emissions amounting to the equivalent of 12 million gas-powered vehicles.<\/p>\n<p><b>European Union<\/b><br \/>\nThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) program was revamped in 2022. It includes \u20ac387 billion, a third of the EU\u2019s entire 2021-2027 budget, to assist in the transition to Net Zero farms and rural communities. Its goal is to cut greenhouse gases by 55% by 2030\u2014in line with EU\u2019s Green Deal targets. In all, 40% of the CAP\u2019s financial plan is explicitly dedicated to climate relevant activities and a further 10% of the EU\u2019s budget outside the CAP is directed towards biodiversity efforts.<\/p>\n<p><b>Australia<\/b><br \/>\nThe Emissions Reduction Fund is Australia\u2019s flagship program for fighting climate change. It supports farmers, businesses, and rural communities in decreasing greenhouse gases by providing carbon credit units that can be sold on to public or private buyers. The scheme actively promotes soil carbon projects by sharing the upfront costs of soil sampling. The program expects Australian farmers to earn over AUD 400 million from the sale of credits from soil carbon sequestration by 2050. The federal government is also dedicating AUD 64 million in funding to promote the development of soil carbon measurement technologies and an additional AUD 54.4 million to encourage active soil testing and national data sharing.<\/p>\n<p><b>Brazil<\/b><br \/>\nBrazil is offering farmers low-interest loans through the ABC Plan. Farmers are given credit and financing options to adopt sustainable farming practices like no-till, intercropping, crop rotation, and recovering degraded pastures. Launched in 2010, the program was recently revamped with the goal of storing 41MT annually of carbon dioxide over 177 million acres of farmland across the country. In its last financing round, over 62,000 contracts were signed. This made Brazil the second highest ranked nation in the world for no till farms (around 18% of Brazil\u2019s total agricultural land).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">.sustainability_box{float: left;width: 100%;margin: 15px 0;}.sp-bot-border{border-bottom: 2px solid #eee}.object-box{border-top: 2px solid #eee; padding:25px 0;}.object-content-box{list-style:none;display:table;}.object-content-box li{float: left;}.object-content-box li:first-child{width:26%;}.object-content-box li:last-child{width:74%;}.object-content-box li img{width: 142px !important; margin:0 auto; display:table;}.sp-display-none{display:none;}h3, h2{margin: 0!important;}.font-lar{font-size:60px;font-weight:500; color:#003168;margin-bottom: 36px!important;}.project-break img{width: 107px; margin: 0 auto; display:table;}.project-break{border-bottom:2px solid #0051a5;margin-top: 40px;}.project-break-list{list-style: none;width: 535px;padding: 0!important;margin: 0 auto; display: table;}.project-break-list li{width: 50%;display: table;float: left;text-align: center;padding: 10px 0;border: 1px solid #003168;color: #003168;}.project-break-list li:first-child{background:#fff;border-top: none;}.project-break-list li:last-child{background:#f4f8f9;border-top: none;}.icon-link{margin:0 auto;display: block;width: 128px;}section.section-tabs&gt;.section-inner&gt;.tab-content {padding-top: 0px;}.ag_list{list-style:none;padding:0 55px;margin:0;display:table;width:100%;}.ag_list li{}.per_cent{width: 42.43%;float: left;margin-top:17px;margin-right: 40px;font-size: 67px;text-align: right;color: #006ac3;font-family: RBCDisplay;}.per_cent_text{width:50%;float:left}.mar20bot{margin-bottom:20px;}.mar40top{margin-top:40px;}.mar20top{margin-top:20px;}.harvesting-change &gt; .callout.horizontal.callout-content {padding-top: 0px;}.callout .callout-img {width: 50% !important;height: 416px !important;}.revenue_box{margin: 0 auto;list-style: none;display:table;}.revenue_box li{float:left;}.revenue_box li img{width:200px;}.revenue_box li:first-child{width:60%;}.revenue_box li:last-child{width:40%;}.box_text{font-size: 72px;font-weight: 400;color: #006ac3;padding: 58px 0 0 0;}.deductions_box{margin: 0 auto;list-style: none;display: table;width: 458px;}.deductions_box li{width: 152px;float: left;margin: 0;padding: 0;text-align:center;font-weight: 400;}.deductions_box li img {width: 62px;margin: 0 auto; display: table}.deductions_box li p {text-align:center;font-weight: 700;color: #006ac3;}.ag_infograph{margin: 0;list-style: none;display: table;}.ag_infograph li{width:50%;float:left;}.ag_infograph li:first-child{border-right:1px solid black;}.incentive_box{margin: 0 auto;list-style: none;display:table;}.incentive_box li{float:left;}.incentive_box li:first-child{width:75%;}.incentive_box li:last-child{width:25%;}.box_text_incentive{font-size: 72px;font-weight: 400;padding: 38px 0 0 0;}.bg_blue {background: #0051a5 !important;}.bg_bronze {background: #e7eef1!important;}.bg_sliver {background: #c3e2fa!important;}.bg_gold {background: #c1b5a5!important;}.bg_blue_lit {background: rgba(195, 226, 250, 0.2)!important;}.bg_bronze_lit {background: rgba(231, 226, 241, 0.2)!important}.bg_gold_lit {background: rgba(193, 181, 165, 0.2)!important}.table thead tr{border-bottom: none;}.sp-fw{font-weight: 400;}.table-image img {width: 50%; height:auto; margin: 0 auto;} table{border-bottom:none!important;}.col-8{width:60%;}.col-4{width:40%;}.fl{float:left;}.list_green_pre{margin:0 30px;}.list_green_pre li{font-size: 17px;line-height: 1.4;font-weight: 400;}.pad10lr{padding:0 10px;}.table-border { border: 1px solid #E0E0E0;}.col-4.flex { justify-content: center; align-content: center;}.bg-lightblue{background-color:#C3E2FA;}.font-sm { font-size: 14px;}.text-grey { color: #6F6E6F}.fw-1 {font-weight: 700}.fw-2 {font-weight: 600}.fw-3 {font-weight: 500}.fw-4 {font-weight: 400}.fw-5 {font-weight: 300}.sp-no-margin {margin: 0;}.p-all {padding: 40px;}.f-w {border-bottom: 1px solid black;width: 100%;margin: 0 0 20px 0;padding: 0;border-top: transparent !important;}@media (max-width: 900px) {.project-break-list {width: auto;}.project-break-list li {width: 100%;margin: 0;}.col-8{width:50%;}.col-4{width:50%;}.per_cent {width: 100%;text-align: center;}.per_cent_text {width: 100%;}.object-content-box li:first-child {width: 30%;}.object-content-box li:last-child {width: 70%;}.object-content-box li img {width: 110px !important;}.font-lar {font-size: 43px;}}@media screen and (max-width: 768px) {.object-content-box li {width: 100% !important;}.carousel-ctrl{margin-left:0px !important;}}@media (max-width: 524px){.table-swipe img {width: 50%!important;}}<br \/>\n@media screen and (max-width: 640px) {.ag_infograph li {width: 100%;}.ag_infograph li:first-child {border-right: none;margin-bottom:20px;}.revenue_box li {width:100%!important;}.revenue_box li:first-child {margin: 0 0 30px 0;}.article-content img {width: 100%;display: table;margin: 0 auto;}.box_text {text-align:center;}.deductions_box {width: 100%;}.deductions_box li {width: 100%;margin: 0 0 20px 0;}.ag_list {padding:0; margin: 15px 0}.per_cent {width: 100%; text-align:center; margin: 0 0 30px 0}.per_cent_text {width: 100%; line-height: 1.2;}.col-8 {width: 100%;margin: 0 0 30px 0;}.col-4 {width: 100%!important;}}.carousel-ctrl{margin-left:auto !important}.carousel-ctrl p {display:flex !important}.callout-content .discovery-img{width:400px;height: 400px;}@media (max-width: 639px){.sustainability_box{float:left;}.object-content-box li {width: 100% !important;}.callout .callout-img {width: 89% !important;height: 448px !important;}.col-8 {width: 100%;}.font-lar {font-size: 42px;}.callout-copy img{width: 50%!important;}.callout.horizontal .callout-img {background-size:contain;}.project-break img {width: 87px !important;}.font-lar {font-size: 30px;margin-bottom: 15px!important;}.article-primary-column.post-content&gt;div&gt;ul {padding-left: 0px!important;}.project-break-list {width: 100%!important;}#dvl-wpr&gt;main&gt;section&gt;div&gt;div&gt;div.grid-two-thirds.article-primary-column.post-content&gt;div&gt;ul {padding: 0 15px!important;}.project-break-list {width: 100%;}.project-break-list li {width: 100%; margin: 0;}.table-swipe img{width: 50%!important;}}@media (max-width: 390px){.table-swipe img {width: 50%!important;}}.dark-blue{color: #004379}.bg-cool-white{background-color: #F4F8F9;}.mar-b-20{margin-bottom:20px !important;}.dark-blue{color: #004379}.bg-cool-white{background-color: #F4F8F9;}.mar-b-20{margin-bottom:20px !important;}<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. Canada\u2019s vast area of cultivated agricultural land is the 12th largest globally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":234,"featured_media":7987,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"disable_focal_point":true,"featured_image_focal_point":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"rbc_tl_category":[202,130],"rbc_tl_tag":[],"class_list":["post-7963","rbc_tl","type-rbc_tl","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rbc_tl_category-agriculture-reports","rbc_tl_category-climate-action-institute"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age - RBC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"RBC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-02T18:08:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1236\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"19 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/\",\"name\":\"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age - RBC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-27T05:00:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-02T18:08:01+00:00\",\"description\":\"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1236},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/\",\"name\":\"RBC\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age - RBC","description":"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age","og_description":"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","og_site_name":"RBC","article_modified_time":"2025-04-02T18:08:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1236,"url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"19 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","name":"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age - RBC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80","datePublished":"2023-02-27T05:00:41+00:00","dateModified":"2025-04-02T18:08:01+00:00","description":"Canadian farmers manage one of the world\u2019s largest inventories of agricultural land. By embracing sustainable practices, they can turn that land into a \u201ccarbon sink\u201d","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/agriculture-reports\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80","width":2560,"height":1236},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/","name":"RBC","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age","url":"http:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80"},"articleSection":"Uncategorized","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"RBC"}],"creator":["RBC"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"RBC","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2023-02-27T05:00:41Z","datePublished":"2023-02-27T05:00:41Z","dateModified":"2025-04-02T18:08:01Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Fertile ground: How soil carbon can be a cash crop for the climate age\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/thought-leadership\\\/climate-action-institute\\\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/thought-leadership\\\/climate-action-institute\\\/fertile-ground-how-soil-carbon-can-be-a-cash-crop-for-the-climate-age\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80&w=150&h=150&crop=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.rbc.com\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80\"},\"articleSection\":\"Uncategorized\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"RBC\"}],\"creator\":[\"RBC\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"RBC\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[],\"dateCreated\":\"2023-02-27T05:00:41Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-02-27T05:00:41Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-02T18:08:01Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/rbc.com\/p.js"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/03\/DL-Fertiile-Ground_Banner-wide-scaled-1.jpg?quality=80&w=1024","coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/author\/rbc\/","display_name":"RBC"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 3 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on February 27, 2023","modified":"Updated on April 2, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on February 27, 2023 5:00 am","modified":"Updated on April 2, 2025 6:08 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","tax_additional":{"rbc_tl_category":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/agriculture-reports\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Agriculture Reports<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/climate-action-institute\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Climate Action Institute<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Agriculture Reports<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Climate Action Institute<\/span>"],"slug":"rbc_tl_category","name":"Categories"},"rbc_tl_tag":{"linked":[],"unlinked":[],"slug":"rbc_tl_tag","name":"Tags"}},"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl\/7963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rbc_tl"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/234"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl\/7963\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10395,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl\/7963\/revisions\/10395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"rbc_tl_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl_category?post=7963"},{"taxonomy":"rbc_tl_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rbc_tl_tag?post=7963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}