Relying on soil-based carbon capture to offset livestock emissions

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the potential and limitations of using soil carbon sequestration, specifically through regenerative grazing, to offset greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. While some estimates suggest significant carbon uptake potential, the document argues that these gains are often overstated because they fail to account for the finite capacity of soil, the reversibility of carbon storage, and the potent warming effects of methane and nitrous oxide emitted by ruminants.

• Soil carbon sequestration is a natural process where plants capture atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis and store it in soil through decaying tissues and microbial activity. The global soil organic carbon pool is substantial, containing up to 2,400 gigatons of carbon, which is more than twice the amount found in the atmospheric carbon pool.
• Agricultural conversion and livestock grazing have significantly depleted soil carbon. Over the last 15,000 years, farmland growth released 133 gigatons of carbon from the top two metres of soil, and livestock grazing specifically is estimated to have caused the loss of 46 gigatons of soil carbon over the last sixty years.
• Regenerative grazing, such as 'adaptive multi-paddock grazing', is proposed to increase soil carbon stocks by rotating livestock to allow soil recovery. While one analysis suggests improved grazing management could sequester around 63 gigatons of carbon globally, other research indicates that these gains are insufficient to offset the methane and nitrous oxide emissions produced by the animals.
• The potential for soil carbon to offset emissions is limited by three primary factors: finite capacity, reversibility, and the impact of other greenhouse gases. Soil carbon sequestration follows a sigmoid curve, plateauing as it reaches a steady state, often within five years. Furthermore, storage is impermanent as fires, floods, and climate-driven permafrost thaw can release stored carbon. Finally, the high global warming potential of methane (28 times CO2) and nitrous oxide (265 times CO2) from ruminants can easily offset soil carbon gains.
• A 2023 study found that offsetting global methane and nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant farming would require sequestering approximately 135 gigatonnes of carbon, which is more than double the estimated sequestration potential of improved grazing management.
• The effectiveness of grazing projects is highly context-dependent, varying by climate, soil type, vegetation, and the type of grazer; for instance, sheep have a more negative impact on sequestration than cattle. These variabilities, combined with the fact that monitoring soil carbon typically requires a decade, make it risky to generalise findings for climate policy.
• Soil carbon markets and 'carbon farming' credits are deemed unsuitable for climate mitigation due to uncertainties regarding permanence, monitoring, and accounting. Because the stored carbon is lost if the management practice ends, it does not constitute a permanent removal.
• Despite climate mitigation limitations, improving soil carbon provides significant non-climate benefits, including enhanced soil health, erosion control, increased water availability, and improved yields and incomes for farmers.

APA

Team, Z. (2024). Relying on soil-based carbon capture to offset livestock emissions. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/relying-on-soil-based-carbon-capture-to-offset-livestock-emissions/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Relying on soil-based carbon capture to offset livestock emissions. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2024. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/relying-on-soil-based-carbon-capture-to-offset-livestock-emissions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Relying on soil-based carbon capture to offset livestock emissions |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=5 June 2024 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/relying-on-soil-based-carbon-capture-to-offset-livestock-emissions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2024relying, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Relying on soil-based carbon capture to offset livestock emissions}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/insights/briefings/relying-on-soil-based-carbon-capture-to-offset-livestock-emissions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }