Agriculture can contribute to carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere – but what information do regional practitioners need from research?

Practitioners in the agricultural sector are being given a special role in the discussion about CO2 removal (CDR) from the atmosphere. They are expected to apply practices that remove CO2 from the atmosphere and contribute to achieving climate neutrality. 

The question is how familiar actors from the agricultural sector are with the concept of CDR and what information they need to implement such practices is an unexplored field of research.

Farmers can apply practices to their land that can change the balance of carbon inputs and losses. Through these practices, also referred to as soil carbon sequestration, the equilibrium level of soil organic carbon content can increase. Such practices include, for example, planting in periods where no plants have been cultivated to date e.g. the cultivation of cover crops. Another method is to shift a plain field into an agroforest. Agroforestry combines crop cultivation, trees and sometimes livestock in one area. By linking arable land, forest, meadows and pastures, CO2 uptake in plants can be increased. A novel method is that farmers add biochar to their fields. Biochar is produced when biomass is burned with very little oxygen. Added to soil it can store carbon for long periods of time and can have positive impacts on the soil. 

We have conducted 29 interviews with actors of the agriculture sector in Northern Germany in 2023. We talked to farmers, biochar producers, farmers associations, non-governmental associations, bodies of the local administration to explore the following questions:

• How familiar are agricultural actors with the concept of CDR?
• What do agricultural actors want to know and who needs to know what?
• Which formats are considered best for implementing research findings into practice?

   

We discovered that there is a gap between research findings and its transfer into practice. We will present the informational needs and suitable formats to improve the implementation of CDR options. In addition, we will share our experiences on how to improve knowledge transfer from research to agricultural practice.