In the shadow of carbon: carbon farming knowledges and the future of regenerative rural landscapes

Increasing carbon stocks in agricultural soils is seen as a means to support climate change mitigation and adaptation, which is why many policymakers, food businesses, and scientists emphasize the importance of so-called 'carbon farming'. The aim is to change farming practices in ways that enhance soil carbon sequestration and prevent carbon losses from soils. At the same time, new tools and methods are being developed to produce more accurate data about changing soil carbon levels.

This project investigates how the push for carbon farming is affecting rural landscapes and livelihoods in Finland. What kind of changes does carbon farming bring – and on whose terms? We examine how techno-scientific carbon farming knowledges are being developed, especially at the science-policy interface, as well as how they interact with farmers’ lived reality and other forms of knowing. The project is funded by Kone Foundation.