Carbon credits officially enter the European political agenda, confirming the essential role of the rural sector in the challenge of sustainability. The EU Commission published the communication on sustainable carbon cycles, which will be followed by a legislative proposal by 2022. It is the first official step with which Europe recognizes the importance of carbon farming, a win-win solution that has both advantages for the environment and for farmers' income.

The document outlines the opportunities of a new green business model that rewards the best practices of farmers and foresters that result in the immobilization of Co2 by plant biomass. In fact, as is well known, each tree through the process of photosynthesis can subtract about 30 kg of Co2 per year from the atmospheric compartment, releasing, at the same time, about 25 kg of oxygen. This is an advantage for soil fertility and crop resistance, which can translate into additional income for farmers.

Cia-Agricoltori Italiani welcomes the Commission's decision on the key actions to be taken, starting with the definition of certification standards that will lead to the recognition of the value of the carbon credit market generated by these virtuous practices. The Association is now asking for an acceleration of the European legislative process that brings clear rules, to avoid fraud (multiple sales) and financial speculation in the marketing of credits, guaranteeing transparency and effectiveness. Thus the CIA president, Dino Scanavino: “Sustainable land management can play a fundamental role in the fight against climate change. The certification system will have to define carbon sequestration accounting standards for each type of farm and what will be the ways in which farmers will receive the rewards. The questions that arise are complex, will the new financial instruments be able to attract a critical mass of companies or will only a few large farmers able to adopt the technologies necessary to monitor the reduction of emissions benefit from them? And, above all, it should be clarified whether our farms will also receive credits for everything they have done in the past to reduce greenhouse gas emissions".