Grow profits and generate income from soil carbon

Building soil health through regenerative agricultural practices has become a hotly discussed topic in the last decade, both within and outside of farming.  

There are good reasons for this.  

© Regenerate Outcomes

Improving soil health drives crop and livestock performance, reduces the need for external inputs, cuts costs and grows profits.

This is not to mention a host of other benefits such as greater water infiltration and retention, improved nutrient cycling and resilience to weather extremes. 

In addition, it also creates the opportunity for farmers to generate income by selling soil carbon credits. 

What is soil carbon? 

Practices such as mob or rotational grazing, increasing sward diversity and reducing cultivation, all help to build soil organic matter.

Organic matter is all of the living or once-living things which soil contains and is made up of approximately 50 per cent carbon by weight. 

© Regenerate Outcomes

Very simply, the more organic matter you have in your soil the more carbon it contains and the healthier it is. The healthier your soil is, the more benefits you will begin to enjoy as a farming business. 

Selling your soil carbon 

Soil carbon contained in organic matter all represents carbon dioxide which has been removed from the atmosphere through plant photosynthesis at some point in time.  

As businesses look to achieve ‘net zero’ this creates a market for selling removals in the form of carbon credits to companies which want to offset their emissions. 

Carbon removals are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, with one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent equal to one carbon credit. 

Baselining and measuring soil carbon 

In order to generate and sell carbon credits, farmers must demonstrate a growth in carbon stocks in their soil over time.  

This means the first step is to obtain an accurate soil carbon baseline. Once a baseline is in place, increases in soil carbon can be measured and quantified to generate carbon credits. 

© Regenerate Outcomes

Even if you are uncertain about the prospect of selling carbon credits from your farm, getting a baseline will still give you the option of doing so in the future.

Without a baseline in place any value you create from your management currently will go unrewarded. 

Choosing the right baseline 

In order to maximise the value of the carbon credits you generate, it is important to ensure you get a high integrity baseline.  

It makes most sense to get a baseline which follows an international verification standard, such as the Verified Carbon Standard. 

This will enable you to earn more from your carbon, as verified credits trade for a premium price and are more likely to retain their value over time. 

Many farmers find it beneficial to work with a trusted partner like Regenerate Outcomes who can facilitate baselining to a very high standard that is compatible with verification schemes.

The best time to obtain soil carbon baselines is either in the spring or autumn, with the deadline for booking a baseline with Regenerate Outcomes falling in early November.  

The financial benefits of healthy soil 

A recent study in the US has shown significant reductions in the cost of inputs on farms which adopted regenerative practices. 

Results for livestock farms after five years included on average a 38% reduction in veterinary bills and 40% fewer days using processed feed, while arable farms saw a 22% reduction in fuel use per acre and a 37% reduction in synthetic fertiliser applications. 

© Regenerate Outcomes

Prioritising production 

Amidst all the changes which the sector is facing, the priority for most farmers remains the same: Running a profitable business while producing food.  

The beauty of improving soil health is that it supports these core aims alongside wider impacts such as carbon sequestration and increasing biodiversity.  

Generating carbon credits should not be about replacing food production. It is about gaining an added benefit while building a resilient farming business based on healthy soil. 

Join the only UK programme that measures your soil carbon stocks at no upfront cost, every five years. Register your interest in joining the Regenerate Outcomes programme by 7th November to secure your place on our spring 2026 soil carbon baseline cohort.

Join us and start being rewarded for the carbon stored in your soil.

Find out more about soil carbon baselines