Project type: Agriculture
Project location: Lake Constance region (Switzerland, Germany, Austria & Liechtenstein)
Project status: Completed, no credits available
Annual emission reduction of the whole project: 1,522 t
This pioneering climate protection programme stored carbon in agricultural soils on organic farms across Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Successfully completed after seven years in 2024, it stands as a clear example of how carbon farming projects provide effective solutions for carbon removal solutions while helping farmers adapt to weather extremes.
Agricultural soils offer great potential as a carbon sink. Soil stores three times more carbon than the atmosphere. The carbon in soil comes, in part, from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), which plants extract through photosynthesis and store in the soil through plant roots and microorganisms. The more humus soil contains, the more carbon it can store. Soil-preserving and humus-accumulating measures increase soil organic carbon, making fertile agricultural soil a CO₂ sink. Humus-rich soils store more water and are therefore more resistant to extreme weather conditions such as droughts and heavy rainfall. This makes the soil more resilient to climate change, meaning it contributes to food security and the negative emissions urgently needed in order to achieve the 1.5 degree target.
The international 4 per 1000 initiative understands soil as a relevant CO₂ sink. It assumes that an annual, 0.4-per cent worldwide increase in soil carbon stock in the topsoil – i.e. the top 30 centimetres – can reduce the global greenhouse gases caused by humans. After running seven years this carbon farming programme and analysing our soil probes, we actually reached even an increase of 2.5 percent, which shows that the international 4 per 1000 initiative is feasible.
For this programme, myclimate collaborated closely with Bio-Stiftung Schweiz. Selected organic or bio-dynamically producing farms in the Lake Constance region were committed to develop location-optimised activities in order to increase soil fertility. Measures included for example: the development and introduction of compost, modified crop rotation, no tillage, mixed crops or green manure. The Bio-Stiftung Schweiz supports farmers with guidance from local soil experts and an exchange platform.
After seven years our data shows, that on average the farmers could sequester 1,38 t CO₂/ha/a (excluding the effects of compost). About 80 % of the gains were due to green manures, cover crops etc. and about 20 % due to reduced tillage.
With a well-established project framework, regular on-site consultations and strong partnerships, it is possible to implement climate protection projects that create measurable carbon sinks in the agricultural sector.
With the completion of this first pilot project and innovative approaches using satellite data, both the tools and methodologies are ready to scale and finance regenerative agricultural practices within the value chain. myclimate is currently running another regenerative agricultural programme together with AgriPurpose within the Migros supply chain.
This programme has successfully ended. If your company is interested in supporting pioneering farms, please have a look at our agroforestry programme that still is running.
Do you have questions on this project or would like to support other regenerative agriculture solutions? Please do not hesitate to contact us. Email , Tel. +41 (0)44 500 43 50
*as at the end of 2025. Find out how myclimate reports these SDGs in our FAQ.
1179 hectares of arable land are farmed sustainably.
1522 t CO2 are saved annually.
7824
