SoilCQuest 2031: soil carbon sequestration in Australian agriculture for our climate future

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming approach that results in improved soil health and biology, improved biodiversity including increased plant diversity, improved water catchment health, and restored and enhanced landscape health and ecosystem function.

Higher soil carbon improves water retention, nutrient cycling, and overall crop and pasture productivity.

Farming practices influence how much carbon moves between plants, soil, and the atmosphere, and how long carbon stays sequestered (stored) in soil and trees.

Compost supports soil structure, biology, and organic carbon levels, helping soils function more effectively.

They are methods that protect soil, improve productivity, and support long‑term land and ecosystem health.

Regenerative agriculture is a holistic farming approach that results in improved soil health and biology, improved biodiversity including increased plant diversity, improved water catchment health, and restored and enhanced landscape health and ecosystem function. In Australia, regenerative agriculture practices include minimum tillage, cover cropping and adaptive/ regenerative/rotational grazing.

An Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent either stored or avoided. These are issued by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) after successful project audits.

Most projects use a “Measurement and Modelling” approach:

• Baseline: Soil cores are taken to measure starting carbon levels.
• Activity: New management practices are implemented.

Re‑measurement: After 3–5 years, new samples are taken. Credits are issued for the increase in carbon minus on‑farm emissions.

You must commit to storing carbon for 25 or 100 years.

They are units earned when farmers store carbon in soil or trees, or reduce emissions, through approved practices.

Projects regulated by the Clean Energy Regulator (CER), where a farmer adopts a new practice to increase their soil carbon over a minimum 25 period.

A policy framework that supports farmers to build soil and tree carbon and reduce emissions.

There is no legal minimum. Some commercial developers prefer 400+ hectares for financial viability, but SoilCQuest focuses on research and education for farms of all sizes.

You must implement a practice you haven’t done before (or haven’t done in 5–10 years). Continuing “business as usual” does not qualify.

SoilCQuest is a non‑profit research institute focused on:

• Education
• On‑farm trials
• Independent research
• Helping farmers understand soil carbon before committing to long‑term contracts

They are real farms where SoilCQuest tests and validates soil carbon practices in different Australian climates.

Yes. Courses are designed to help you understand the science and enter a project with more confidence

They help farmers make soil, crop, and land‑management decisions using science‑based advice

They are soil researchers, agronomists, and specialists working with farmers on soil carbon and regenerative agriculture.

Carbon farming includes land‑management practices that help farms store more carbon in soils and trees, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions over time.

It works by using methods that build and protect soil organic matter and the carbon within it, improve soil health, and support long‑term soil carbon storage; increase and protect carbon in trees; or reduce greenhouse gas emissions produced by agricultural activities.

It refers to Australian farming systems that aim to increase soil or tree carbon, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while maintaining productive agriculture.

Practices that build soil carbon  support better water retention, nutrient cycling, and pasture or crop growth; practices that increase and protect tree carbon enhance crop yield, pasture growth and animal health; and practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions improve on-farm productivity through more efficient management of rumens (cattle, sheep and goats) and fertiliser application.

Approaches that differ from conventional systems and focus on soil health, resilience, and sustainability.

A way of measuring environmental value, including soil carbon, trees, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services.

Practices that generate carbon credits in carbon farming projects often improve natural capital, such as practices that increase soil carbon or tree carbon.

Yes. SoilCQuest provides online learning to help farmers understand soil carbon, regenerative agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon farming projects.

Farmers, agronomists, agricultural and agribusiness advisors, soil carbon service providers, soil practitioners and consultants, researchers, and anyone interested in soil carbon and climate‑positive farming.

Donations help fund soil carbon research on farmsincluding farmer‑led innovation.

Your support helps farmers and scientists work together on climate‑positive farming solutions.