Yes. These crops are often perceived as requiring more intensive tillage, although some people manage to get good yields with minimum tillage. In any case, tillage is not the only lever to store carbon. Having crops that typically require more intensive tillage in your rotation does not block your participation in the programme, nor your ability to generate carbon certificates.
Biogas units are not directly accounted for in the GHG balance because our programme focuses on emissions from on-field practices and those associated with the inputs used for them. However, the use of digestates as an input is accounted for and has a positive influence on the GHG balance.
No. To date the performance (i.e. the biomass) of cover corps is not included in the GHG balance, only the fact that they have been implemented.
Hedgerows, orchards, woodland and forests are not counted for two reasons:
On the other hand, we do account for in-field trees planted using agroforestry techniques.
No. Permanent grasslands are excluded from the areas considered for the carbon calculation in the arable methodology because the areas linked to livestock farming must be part of a specific carbon calculation for livestock farming. Livestock farming has its own carbon methodology and we intend to integrate it into the programme in the future. However, temporary grasslands are considered in the current arable methodology (as crops) and are a source of carbon sequestration. Permanent grass margins are considered as permanent grassland.