Project summary:

Land-use related CO2 emissions are responsible for around 14% of annual anthropogenic CO2. The agricultural contribution to the climate change is due to the emission of mainly three gases, CO2, CH4 and N2O; in particular, according to Mbow et al., (in press) agricultural activity generates around half of all anthropogenic methane emissions and around three-quarters of anthropogenic N2O. One of the EU key challenges in the action against climate change is to exploit the climate mitigation potential of Agroforestry sector quoted from 8 to 235 million tCO2eq/yr, to obtain this goal the development of a business model to remunerate farmers for the result of climate friendly land management practices represent fundamental element. LIFE OLIVER will develop a financial incentive system based on exchange in the voluntary carbon credit market of emission credits deriving from the adoption of a carbon farming approach in the land management with specific reference to the olive oil production sector. In particular the project aims at tackling the reglementary, social and economic barriers which is currently jeopardizing this process by developing and certifying an international standard allowing to olive oil producer to have access to the carbon credit market, increasing and fostering the awareness of farms with respect to the Verified Emission Reduction market and leading the olive farms to sale their carbon certificates obtained by the adoption of a carbon farming approach. Finally, LIFE OLIVER, according with the results obtained during the methodology and protocol testing in the pilot areas (Italy, Greece, Spain) will support the adoption of the carbon farming approach in all the European tree crops adapting the international standard developed for olive cultivation to the other agricultural sectors.