Agroforestry

What it is and what it does in the field

Trees and hedges provide shade, reduce wind, host pollinators, and store carbon in wood and roots. Practices allowed by European rules:

1. 01Trees within plots, together with crops or pasture
2. 02Hedges and rows between plots
3. 03New permanent crops, such as an olive grove or an orchard, together with at least one soil practice

Who can do it

1. 01Land: arable land, meadows, and pastures that remain agricultural.
2. 02History: at least 3 years of documented land use before the start.
3. 03Species: only those suitable for today's and tomorrow's climate.
4. 04Excluded: land where trees or hedges are removed; land where drainage was carried out lowering the water table or trees and hedges were removed between fields as of January 1, 2023, except for fires, pests, or windthrow.
5. 05Economic additionality: without the credits, the project you are undertaking must operate at a loss or yield less than how you currently use the land, or how you would use it at steady state without the project. A difference of even €1 is sufficient. This is demonstrated by a comparison between two economic plans, the project and the land use without the project, which the certification body checks.

For how many years

What is measured and how often

European rule at least every 5 years; Climate Standard recommends every 1 or 2 years: trees grow every year, and credits arrive quickly.

Putting numbers to the credits

With European rules, from measured tonnes to credits, here is how:

1. 01Measured tonnes: the extra carbon in the wood and roots compared to how the land would have been without the project.
2. 02− Measurement uncertainty: at least 8%.
3. 03− Activity emissions: diesel, transport, fertilizers.
4. 04− Collective reserve: depends on the risk of fires and extreme events in your area.
5. 05= Credits: one per ton of CO2 equivalent, each with its code.

Credits remain valid until the end of monitoring, which the manager can extend.

Market reference: approximately €45 per ton, the value of French agricultural credits from Label Bas-Carbone (I4CE, January 2026).

Benefits for nature

Hedges and rows are a refuge for birds, pollinating insects, and fauna useful for crops. Every project must bring a benefit to biodiversity: with agroforestry it comes almost by itself, and it is an extra argument for those who buy your credits.

Typical errors and what it is not

1. 01Existing trees do not generate credits: only those planted with the project count.
2. 02The quota for the collective reserve only decreases with written proof of lower risk in your area, checked by the certification body.

1. 01It is not a forest: the land remains agricultural. For a new forest, there is the New forest (afforestation) activity.
2. 02It is not a public contribution nor an EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measure.

Documents

How much it costs

No commission on the sale of credits. Receive a written quote before starting.

Other activities

1. 01Increase in soil carbon: more organic matter in cultivated or meadow soil.↗
2. 02Nitrous fertilizer reduction (N2O): less nitrogen fertilizer, or better used, without losing yield; only together with increased carbon in the soil or agroforestry.↗
3. 03New forest (afforestation): trees planted or sown on a meadow, cultivated field, or land with few scattered trees in the last twenty years.↗

Can you generate credits?