Grounding carbon farming, or how to break the market logic and promote the cocreation of farming systems

Agricultural soils are central to ecosystem functioning, but their widespread degradation jeopardizes the ability of agroecosystems to sustain life and livelihoods for humans and more-than-humans alike. One proposed solution is carbon farming, a term that encompasses agricultural practices aimed at sequestering carbon in soils. Proponents claim that carbon farming offers a dual benefit: mitigating climate change by drawing down atmospheric carbon while improving soil health and fertility, which underpins the multitude of ‘functions’ soils provide. Often heralded as a ‘win-win’ or ‘no-regret’ solution, carbon farming would be the perfect ‘natural climate solution’. Beyond numerous critiques on the physical and technical aspects of soil carbon sequestration, we reflect here on the rapid growth of voluntary carbon markets as a means to trigger the needed transition to sustainable farming. We argue that such schemes are inherently unfair—reproducing patterns of neocolonial relations and perpetuating the "imperial mode of living"—and fundamentally undemocratic, as they rely on the hegemonic acceptance of markets as the primary driver of positive change. This approach bypasses public investments and usurps democratic power, preventing collective decision-making on what to produce, how much, and under which social and environmental standards. Drawing on firsthand experience co-designing and delivering a transdisciplinary course on this topic—with contributions from social scientists, policymakers, NGOs, and farmers— we reflect on the profound insights that emerge from well-structured inter- and transdisciplinary collaborations.