Soil stewardship certification potential

This project will investigate the potential for certification or verification schemes to help develop markets for rewarding good soil stewardship practices. The project involves a review of literature and existing certification schemes, interviews with stakeholders about desired design features, and a participatory approach involving a range of stakeholders in a series of design thinking workshops to develop a potential certification or verification solution.

The solution will be further refined through the use of consumer and farmer focus groups and surveys. The project builds on high levels of interest generated from earlier projects in the activation of markets to better financially reward farmers for use of soil stewardship practices, including from stakeholders in farmer groups, agri-finance organisations, and the consumer food value chain.

Certification or verification schemes have the potential to assist in activating several markets to provide financial benefits to farmers who use good soil stewardship practices.