Farm Carbon Markets Not Yet Ready, Experts Say

While there is a lot of talk about carbon markets for farmers, one expert says, "I wouldn't consider there to be a working market right now for carbon."

Dr. Joe Outlaw, Texas A&M University economist, said there's a lot of inconsistency in the values and prices attached to the same exact farm practices with, sometimes, no clear explanation given for those prices.

"You don't really have a market when you don't know how prices are being determined.  Plain and simple.  I will just say we are all in total agreement on that."

Chuck Conner, on behalf of the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, said that one aim of USDA's new climate initiatives program is partly.

"...to create the data and the information necessary to overcome these carbon issues, including transparency that we've talked about."

And Connor agrees with that approach.

"We do need to collect a lot of information here in the process before jumping into this thing with both feet."

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