{"id":933,"date":"2023-08-11T09:20:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-11T09:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/?post_type=kpi&p=933"},"modified":"2024-04-15T09:32:48","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T09:32:48","slug":"v2-pro-05-soil-organic-carbon-and-healthy-soil","status":"publish","type":"kpi","link":"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/index.php\/kpi\/v2-pro-05-soil-organic-carbon-and-healthy-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"[Secondary] Soil Organic Carbon and healthy soil"},"template":"","impact_area":[34],"sdg":[8,18,21,29,19,9,10,13],"class_list":["post-933","kpi","type-kpi","status-publish","hentry","impact_area-sustainable-production","sdg-8","sdg-18","sdg-21","sdg-29","sdg-19","sdg-9","sdg-10","sdg-13"],"acf":{"id":"PRO 05","units":"tonnes of carbon per hectare","rationale":"

Soil organic carbon is one proxy for soil health and carbon sequestration, which can be measured with a simple lab analysis after soil samples are collected on farm. Higher soil organic carbon indicates a healthier and more biodiverse soil ecosystem, which is vital for sustainable yields in the long term. This is relevant to consider as land-use projects (sustainable agriculture, forestry, restoration) should be aware of their impacts on the soil in their landholding and be aiming to improve soil health both to increase biodiversity on site and future-proof the long-term sustainability of their investment. Additionally, by increasing the soil organic carbon content, projects contribute to sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. However, given that the evidence for soil to be a stable, long-term store of carbon is unclear, we would not recommend developing carbon credits on this basis. (The main carbon standards for soil organic carbon are Verra (formerly VCS), Gold Standard and Plan Vivo. Please refer to those if your intention is to develop SOC credits.)<\/p>\n

This indicator is most suited to agriculturally productive areas. Where soil is covered in vegetation, such as in a natural ecosystem such as grassland or forest, soil organic carbon tends to be relatively static. However, in cultivated areas there is more scope for the degradation or improvement of soil organic carbon, depending on management practices used. This indicator was added in August 2023.<\/p>\n","methodology":"

To measure soil organic carbon, it is necessary to first collect soil samples at representative points across the project site. These samples will then need to be sent to a lab for analysis of soil carbon content and bulk density. Statistical analysis is then used to inform predictive soil mapping.<\/p>\n

There are a variety of different types of lab analyses for soil organic carbon, but the most common is the \u2018Loss on Ignition\u2019 test. However, whichever test you decide to use to measure soil organic carbon, it is important to stay consistent with the type of test and the lab in which it is performed to ensure that results are comparable between samples.<\/p>\n

Alongside soil organic carbon measurement, other measures of soil health, such as soil structure (via a visual assessment), earthworm counts and microbial activity (assessed via monitoring soil respiration over 24 hours) are recommended, for a more holistic measurement of soil health. The Farm Carbon Toolkit<\/a> gives a good overview of different methods to assess soil health, as does the Global Farm Metric.<\/p>\n

Soil organic carbon, or other measures of soil health, should be measured on a yearly basis and tracked throughout the course of the investment. A pre-investment baseline should be generated at the start of the investment, before any interventions take place.<\/p>\n","communication":"

Soil organic carbon should be measured using the same process on a yearly basis. Results should be kept at a project level and increases or decreases over time should be made clear. It is not suitable to sum this indicator across a portfolio. When considering the results of soil organic carbon analyses, it could be useful to compare results to global maps of soil organic carbon, such as those held by the FAO, to consider if the results are in line with expectations for the region.<\/p>\n

When communicating about soil organic carbon, it should be made clear that this is being used as a proxy for soil health, which gives an indication of the long-term productivity of the soil. We would not advise using soil organic carbon as an indicator for carbon sequestration by a project, as it is not yet clear when soil organic carbon is a suitable long term carbon store.<\/p>\n","considerations":[{"text":"Soil samples should be taken from a representative cross-section of sites on farm."},{"text":"This indicator is most suited to productive areas. Where soil is covered in vegetation, such as in a natural ecosystem such as grassland or forest, soil organic carbon tends to be quite stable. However, in cultivated areas there is more scope for the degradation or improvement of soil organic carbon, depending on management practices used. "},{"text":"For analyses to be comparable, samples should be sent to the same lab for the same sort of soil organic carbon analysis. "},{"text":"Changes in soil organic carbon should be tracked over the course of the project, on a yearly basis."}],"resources":[{"link_text":"Land Degradation Neutrality Impact Monitoring Methodology. ","link_url":"https:\/\/www.idhsustainabletrade.com\/publication\/land-degradation-neutrality-impact-monitoring-methodology\/"},{"link_text":"Farmer Carbon Toolkit, Measuring Soil Health","link_url":"https:\/\/farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk\/toolkit-page\/measuring-soil-health\/"},{"link_text":"European Commission. Soil Organic Carbon - datasets. ","link_url":"https:\/\/esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu\/themes\/soil-organic-carbon-content"},{"link_text":"FAO Harmonized World Soil Database v 1.2","link_url":"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/soils-portal\/soil-survey\/soil-maps-and-databases\/harmonized-world-soil-database-v12\/ru\/"},{"link_text":"FAO Global Soil Organic Carbon Map ","link_url":"https:\/\/www.fao.org\/soils-portal\/data-hub\/soil-maps-and-databases\/global-soil-organic-carbon-map-gsocmap\/en\/"}],"links_to_other_impact_area_kpis":"

Climate Action \u2013CMA 03, CMA 04, CMA 06<\/p>\n

Forests \u2013 FOR 03<\/p>\n

Livelihoods and Gender \u2013 LG 01, LG 03<\/p>\n

Sustainable Production \u2013 PRO 01, PRO 02, PRO 04, PRO 06<\/p>\n","case_studies":"

GIIN\u2019s Impact Performance Agriculture Benchmark<\/span> more generally<\/span> asks investors to report <\/span>on <\/span>whether investee(s)<\/span> implement soil protection practices to <\/span>monitor<\/span> soil health<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","requirements":{"spatial_data":true,"project_specific_criteria":false,"on_the_ground_verification":true},"download":"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/V2-PRO-05-Soil-Organic-Carbon-and-Healthy-Soil.pdf"},"yoast_head":"\n[Secondary] Soil Organic Carbon and healthy soil - Land Use Impact Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kpi-directory.shared-api-01.production.linode.unep-wcmc.org\/index.php\/kpi\/v2-pro-05-soil-organic-carbon-and-healthy-soil\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"[Secondary] Soil Organic Carbon and healthy soil - 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