Carbon crediting has the potential to incentivise optimal nitrogen fertiliser usage on farms. This helps to avoid negative environmental consequences like climate change, and also to supplement farmer revenues.
Through the combination of satellites with blockchain technology, farmers in the carbon market will be able to use our solution to generate a credit for each unit of nitrous oxide emissions avoided by a change in nutrient application practices. This credit can then be sold to a company or other entity that wishes to offset its own emissions.
The project applies Sentinel-1 and -2 data to provide information about crop state. Sentinel-3 data is used to monitor and analyse the complete carbon cycle, and Sentinel-5p data is used to measure the amount of CO2. Together with cognitive techniques, this data will improve the traceability of a farmer’s carbon footprint.
Carbon sequestration, controlled by satellite and protected by blockchain, © Filippo Iodice
Customer benefits
Thanks to the Copernicus satellites, big data and cognitive techniques, the project can improve the traceability of a farmer’s carbon footprint in terms, as the process of calculating carbon emissions and trading credits is currently a manual, time consuming and expensive process.
Expertise
“The establishment of a credit-based system to optimise nutrient management can be a break-through in the farmer industry. It is incentive based, which leads to adoption. Furthermore, the use of blockchain technology will increase security and build trust. This solution will protect the environment and can even increase farmer revenue. A great idea with high potential.” – Hinnerk Gildhoff Development Manager, SAP
Dr Filippo Iodice, Mario Monaldi, Dr Federica D’ Acunto
