Financing carbon farming practices: lessons learnt in France can reinforce the EU level initiatives
Carbon farming projects are in full swing in Europe: in France, the Label Bas-Carbone (Low carbon standard – LBC) is marking its sixth anniversary (see I4CE’s assessment). At the European level, the CRCF (Carbon Removals and Carbon Farming) is being developed by the European Commission and is expected to become operational in 2026. However, while the supply side is taking shape, the sticky point remains the issue of financing. This is where the LBC is currently struggling, particularly regarding agricultural projects, which face multiple problems in accessing finance. These challenges are not unique to France and could materialise at European level in going forward. The financing options currently being considered by European policy makers are mainly based on voluntary private funding. They will certainly be essential, but based on the experiences in France, we also know that they will most likely be insufficient.
In 2026, I4CE is therefore committed to contributing to the further developments for sustainable and appropriate financing for carbon farming at the European level: by analysing and sharing the lessons learnt from the Label Bas-Carbone, particularly via the European Commission’s CRCF expert group and various European research projects, but also by conducting new research to help structure credible demand, combining public and private funding, including from downstream parts of the agricultural value chain.
