Land Stored Carbon

Carbon stored by soil, roots and living landscapes

Every food forest, bamboo grove and regeneratively farmed field is storing carbon. The plants and soil beneath them hold CO₂ that was once in the atmosphere. Oncra certifies that storage and connects project owners with the funding to keep it growing.

Land Stored Carbon covers all living plant-based carbon storage: from annual energy crops to century-old food forests and agroforestry systems.

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How land stores carbon

The natural process of photosynthesis, explained.

Every plant absorbs CO₂ from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. In annual crops, most of that carbon is released again when the plant dies. But perennial plants, trees, hedges, bamboo, and deep-rooted grasses build up carbon, stores year after year in their woody biomass and in the soil.

Soil organic matter is especially important. Regenerative farming practices that return organic matter to the soil, reduce tillage and support soil biology help build a carbon store that can persist for decades.

Oncra measures net carbon storage: the carbon accumulated in vegetation and soil over a defined measurement period, verified against baseline conditions and adjusted for any disturbances.

5–35

Tonnes CO₂/ha/year depending on species

~60%

Of all terrestrial carbon is stored in soil

20+

Year measurement period for long-term projects

Net

Calculation: accumulated carbon minus baseline

Photosynthesis

Plants and trees absorb CO₂ from the air and convert it into biomass (roots, stems, leaves and wood) using sunlight and water.

Accumulation

Perennial plants build up biomass year after year. Soil microbes convert plant matter into stable soil organic carbon that can persist for decades.

Measurement and certification

Oncra calculates the net carbon stored over the project lifetime, issues certificates and monitors the project to ensure the carbon remains stored.

What counts as Land Stored Carbon

Any land-based project that accumulates carbon in vegetation or soil, farmed, restored or deliberately planted. Explore our methodologies.

Food forests

Food forests combine fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs and ground covers in a multilayer system that stores carbon while producing food. Several food forests in the Netherlands have been certified.

Bamboo

One of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. Bamboo sequesters carbon at high rates in its biomass and rhizome network, and regrows after harvest.

Agroforestry

Trees integrated with crops or livestock. Agroforestry systems store carbon in trees and improve soil health, while keeping the land economically productive.

Regenerative agriculture

Farming practices that rebuild soil organic matter, such as cover crops, reduced tillage, compost application and diverse crop rotations, store significant carbon over time.

Energy crops

Perennial grasses like miscanthus and elephant grass accumulate carbon in their deep root systems and return organic matter to the soil each season.

Reforestation

Planting native trees on degraded land stores carbon in wood and roots over decades.

Featured project type

Food forest - Land Stored Carbon

Food forests combine fruit trees, berry bushes, herbs and ground covers in a multilayer system that stores carbon while producing food. Several food forests in the Netherlands have been certified.

Carbon stored by soil, roots and living landscapes

How land stores carbon

Photosynthesis

Accumulation

Measurement and certification

What counts as Land Stored Carbon

Food forests

Bamboo

Agroforestry

Regenerative agriculture

Energy crops

Reforestation

Food forest - Land Stored Carbon

Certified Land Stored Carbon projects

Methodology and certification

What the protocol covers

Who can apply

Required documentation

Baseline soil carbon measurement

Proof of ownership or project agreement

Map of the project location

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Pricing

Other methods of carbon storage

Construction Stored Carbon

Ocean Stored Carbon

Rock Stored Carbon

Ready to certify your land-based project?