‘Really difficult’ for smallholder farmers to join the carbon market: Verra CEO

CARBON credits have been touted as a possible new income source for farms, but stringent accounting standards required in the space means the market will find it hard to include the scores of smallholder farmers who might need the money the most – for now, at least.

At a conference on Thursday (Jun 9), David Antonioli, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Verra, by far the world’s biggest carbon credit standards body, was asked how Asia’s small-time farmers who cannot afford to be certified by carbon credit standards bodies could participate.

In response, he said it is “really difficult”, as they will have to follow an accounting methodology that takes knowledge and understanding of following what the rules are in order to offer a “real carbon credit”.