FAQ Carbon Expert Desk

It is a trading system in which carbon credits are sold and bought. It allows individuals, companies and countries to voluntarily cooperate with each other to achieve emission reduction.

Climate compensation refers to when individuals, organizations, or companies contribute financially to projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions, to offset their own carbon footprints. The term has faced criticism for implying emissions can simply be “paid away”. Alternatives like “climate contribution” or “carbon responsibility” are increasingly preferred.

Soil carbon is carbon stored in soil organic matter and minerals, including decomposed biomass, microbial residues, and root exudates. Emission reductions are calculated by measuring increases in soil carbon stocks over time using standardized methodologies

Emission reductions are calculated by measuring the difference in greenhouse gas emissions between a baseline scenario and the project scenario, using approved methodologies. One carbon credit equals one ton of CO₂ equivalent avoided or removed.

Depends with the methodology used. Each methodology has a clear carbon quantification procedure.

Eligibility refers to the criteria a project must meet to qualify for participation in a carbon crediting program. These criteria ensure that the project delivers real, additional, and measurable GHG reductions. Eligibility requirements typically include factors such as baseline assessments, additionality, permanence, and compliance with recognized carbon crediting standards (e.g., VCS, Gold Standard).

Permanence is key in carbon projects, the project proponent must ensure that the carbon will be sequestered for minimum of 40 years within the project scope. Within ViA projects, we assert that the practice (agroforestry) will remain. After the project cycle ends, the individual trees might however be harvested for timber, fuelwood, fodder or any other purpose at the landowner’s desire, but other woody perennials will be replanted. In our SALM manual we encourage staggered planting of trees to ensure that these tree mature at different times.

Vi Agroforestry ensures additionality by showing that the carbon removals only happen because of the project. Each credit is linked to smallholder farmers adopting new practices (like composting, agroforestry, and residue management) that they wouldn’t have implemented without support. Before starting, we assess the baseline scenario and compare it to what the project enables. We also test alternative land-use scenarios to confirm that the carbon gains are truly additional. These changes are tracked through robust monitoring systems and verified by third-party auditors.

Leakage refers to the unintended shift of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions outside the project boundary due to the project’s activities. In climate mitigation projects, this can happen when reducing emissions in one area causes an increase in emissions elsewhere. For example, if a forest conservation project prevents deforestation in one region but leads to increased logging in another, that is considered leakage. To maintain credibility, projects must assess, quantify, and mitigate leakage as part of their carbon accounting.

The baseline represents the reference scenario – what would happen to carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions without the project. It serves as a benchmark for measuring the project’s impact by comparing actual emissions reductions or removals against this projected “business-as-usual” scenario. Baselines are typically established using historical data, modeling, and relevant methodologies to ensure accuracy and credibility.

Vi Agroforestry partners with smallholder farmers, local farmer organisations (unions, cooperative), government, research institutions.

Different partners have different roles. Smallholder farmers are environmental stewards adopting sustainable farming practices that lead to carbon removal. Local farmer organizations recruit participants and ensure climate practices are implemented on the ground – for Vi Agroforestry it is SALM based on agroforestry. Government agencies, including county governments, provide policy guidance and regulatory approvals (such as the letter of no objection, confirming environmental and social compliance). Vi Agroforestry works continuously with researchers to ensure that our methods are innovative, relevant and progressive. Standard developers provide methodologies for carbon quantification and the basis for verification leading to issuance of carbon credits. Validation and verification bodies audit project performance, making sure it is aligned with the reported results from the project developer.

Partners must keep all the records of the adopted practices that support in climate mitigation. These records are then forwarded through MIS for verification.

Vi Agroforestry largely works with smallholder farmers majority of whom have approximately 2 hectares of land.

Vi Agroforestry uses sustainable agriculture land management (SALM) based on agroforestry.

Agroforestry is the deliberate action of integrating woody perennials including shrubs into fields of crops and livestock. Besides the socio-economic benefits that smallholder farmers derive from agroforestry, agroforestry practices capture and store carbon indifferent carbon pools e.g., above and below ground biomass, soil organic carbon etc.

Our project cycle’s normally stretches 20 years, or longer.

A lot of factors influence the health of a tree and hence its ability to absorb CO2. In an ideal situation a tree will absorb roughly 10kg or 22pounds of CO2 per year.

If they fall within the criterion of the carbon project boundary they may join. Please note that the farmer recruitment is done during the planning period.

Information Communication Technologies is a very important enablers of carbon project. In our projects we use Web Applications, Mobile Applications, GIS & Remote sensing to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) processes.

A good carbon project should be certified by a renowned standard body. The carbon removal claimed should be verified through a transparent process and the removal should be measurable as well. The credits should be additional meaning that without the effort by the project, the climate mitigation would not have occurred. Furthermore, the carbon project should enhance/create resilience amongst people and promote sustainable ecological functioning. For our cases, smallholder farmers are at the heart of the carbon projects and their actions towards environmental stewardship are recognised and appreciated. Should be in compliance with the methodology chosen.

Yes, please contact the expert desk coordinator with your request at [email protected]

The main risk for carbon project developers are detailed under Verra AFOLU non-permanence risk tool. They are categorised as internal risks (e.g. project management, financial viability, opportunity cost and project longevity), external risks (land tenure (ownership) and resource access or impacts, stakeholder engagement, and political risk), and natural risks (e.g. fire, pest and disease outbreaks, extreme weather, geological risk, etc)

Revenues accrued from the sale of carbon credits is either tranfered to the farmers/farmer groups (where applicable) or used to fund the sustainable agriculture practices that the farmers uptake on their farms (e.g., agroforestry, land restoration and rehabilitaion,fodder management, good livestock husbandry,soil and water conservation etc). Our carbon projects are operated in a transparent manner and we increase traceability through a rigorous monitoring , verification and validation process. We ensure that we understand the environmental and social impacts of the project and hence maximise on opportunities for reducing or mitigating any adverse impacts.

No, purchasing a tree from Vi Agroforestry is not considered climate compensation. When you buy a tree, it is a donation to support Vi Agroforestry’s broader work, which includes various operational and project costs. While Vi Agroforestry has planted a significant number of trees over the years, resulting in substantial carbon sequestration, carbon credit generation require a specific process. This involves measuring tree growth using a rigorous methodology and third-party verification. This process is only carried out within Vi Agroforestry’s dedicated carbon projects, not in other agroforestry initiatives.

Vi Agroforestry engages with carbon standards by submitting projects for approval, using their methodologies for carbon accounting, and working within their platforms for verifier vetting, registration, and credit issuance. Notably, Vi Agroforestry co-developed the VM0017 methodology with Verra (the largest and most widely used carbon crediting standard in the world) and the World Bank to enable smallholder soil carbon projects. However, VM0017 was recently deactivaded. Standards also guide validation and verification, ensuring projects meet environmental and technical criteria before credits are issued.