On his small family farm in Petaluma, California, Don Gilardi hopes to begin spreading compost over his pastures next year as a way to fight climate change. The technique helps plants pull more carbon from the air and store it in the soil. The farm will also use other “carbon farming” methods, like planting trees on pastures and managed grazing. In doing so, it could sequester an average of 295 metric tons of CO2 a year, more than the emissions of driving a Toyota Camry a million miles. In 20 years, the farm could sequester 32 times as much carbon.

A new “carbon removal marketplace” hopes to make it easier for consumers and businesses to directly support farmers who, like Gilardi, want to shift to climate-friendly practices. It will also later connect consumers to other types of carbon offsets, such as those from tree-planting projects. Called Nori, the new platform, which will launch by the end of the year, will use blockchain to streamline the process of buying and selling offsets.

The funding that the platform enables could help encourage farmers to transform their operations. “I’m definitely looking for funding for this,” says Gilardi. “Even though my farm is only 80 acres, to implement the plan is $4 million-$5 million. I’m looking for ways to sell my carbon credits.”

— Leer en www.fastcompany.com/40571935/this-carbon-removal-marketplace-will-make-buying-offsets-easier