The short answer. It depends on five things: how much carbon your soil gains, the error of that measurement, what the farm itself emits, the share held back in a buffer, and the price a buyer agrees. Four of those are measured on your fields. The fifth is set by the market. Some farms will have credits to sell in a given year and some will not, which is why any figure per acre quoted before your soil has been measured is an average, not an answer for your farm.
Last reviewed September 2026.
Where a soil carbon credit comes from
A credit is not paid for a practice. It is issued for a measured result. Under our published methodology on the Regen Registry, the arithmetic runs in the same order every round:
- The gain in soil carbon. Soil samples and satellite mapping give the change in soil organic carbon stock across the project, in tonnes of carbon. Each tonne of carbon is multiplied by 3.67 to express it as carbon dioxide (tCO2e).
- The error comes off. The error of the mapping, measured against samples the AI never saw, is deducted from the gain.
- The farm’s emissions come off. Greenhouse gas emissions from the food and fibre produced on the project area during the round are calculated to IPCC Tier II or higher and deducted, along with any yield-related leakage.
- Only new gains count. The change is measured against the highest soil carbon stock of any earlier round, so carbon lost and then regained is not credited twice.
- A fifth goes into the buffer. Of the credits that result, 20% are held in a buffer pool as insurance against soil carbon being lost later. The other 80% can be sold.
So each credit is issued for each tonne sequestered after greenhouse gas emissions are deducted, and after the error has come off. That is what makes it worth something to a buyer, and it is also why a farm’s credits are usually far fewer than its headline gain in soil carbon.
A worked example, in tonnes
Illustrative numbers for a 150-hectare arable project in one monitoring round. They show how the calculation works. They are not a forecast for any farm.
| Step | Tonnes |
|---|---|
| Measured gain in soil carbon: 0.8 tonnes of carbon a hectare, across 150 hectares | 120 t C = 440 tCO2e |
| Error of the mapping, 12%, deducted from the gain | minus 53 tCO2e |
| Farm emissions for the round, about 2 tCO2e a hectare | minus 300 tCO2e |
| Creditable change | 87 tCO2e |
| Held in the buffer pool (20%) | 17 credits |
| Credits available to sell | 70 credits |
Change any one line and the answer moves a long way. With the same emissions and half the gain, this project would have had no credits at all. In a year when soil carbon falls, there are none, and the next credits only come once the stock climbs back above its earlier high. The income a farm can expect is the number of credits available to sell, multiplied by the price a buyer agrees, less any registry or marketplace fees.
Why we do not quote a price per acre
Because nobody can know your number before your soil is measured, and the price is not ours to set. A credit’s price is agreed between the seller and the buyer, and it moves with the project, the year the removal happened, how the credit is rated and what buyers are looking for at the time. What we can tell you is what drives the tonnes, and we charge for the measurement, never a commission on your carbon.
When credits turn into money
Income follows the measurement, not the season. A monitoring round is sampled in the autumn-winter window, analysed, mapped and reported. The results go to the Registry, independent verification follows the credit class rules, and credits are issued by the Registry. Only then can they be sold, either through a marketplace or directly to a buyer. Plan on credits being a later reward for work already done, not a payment that arrives with the first round.
What the measurement is worth before any credit
You can start on Measure alone, and there is good reason to. Annual measurement shows whether your soil is gaining or losing carbon, field by field, with the error stated. That is the evidence behind a management decision, the supplier-specific data food and drink buyers are starting to ask for, and something firmer to put in front of a lender than an assumption. On our UK projects, fields that held their carbon lost less yield in dry years. A carbon credit is the cherry on top.
Before you count on carbon income
- Soil carbon can fall. A wet winter or a dry summer can take carbon out as well as put it in, and a year of loss means a year without credits.
- Emissions count against you. Fertiliser, fuel and livestock emissions are deducted every round, so cutting them adds to what can be credited.
- Registered projects carry obligations. The Registry sets how long a project must stay monitored. We tell you before you sign.
- Prices can move. What a buyer pays one year is no guide to the next.
Questions we are asked about carbon income
Can UK farmers sell carbon credits from their soil?
Yes, once the soil carbon has been measured, reported, verified and issued as credits on a registry. With Ecometric the credits are issued on the Regen Registry, for each tonne sequestered after greenhouse gas emissions are deducted, and you can sell them as insets to your own buyers or as offsets.
How much is a soil carbon credit worth?
Whatever a buyer agrees to pay for it. The price depends on the project, the year of the removal, how the credit is rated and demand at the time of sale. We do not publish a figure, because it is not ours to set and it would not be true for your farm.
How do I sell carbon credits from my farm?
Measure first: a baseline, then annual rounds to the Registry method. When there is demand worth your while, the project is registered, rounds are independently verified under the credit class rules, and credits are issued to the account holder named in your contract, which can be you. They are then sold through a marketplace or directly to a buyer.
Will I definitely earn something?
No. Credits depend on your soil gaining more carbon than the farm emits, after the error is deducted. Some farms will have credits in a year and some will not. The measurement is worth having either way, because it shows you which of those farms you are.
Do you take a share of the carbon income?
No. We are paid for the measurement, never a commission on your carbon. Registry and marketplace fees, where they apply, are set by those organisations and shown to you before you sign.
How do I find out what my farm could produce?
Measure it. The baseline sets your starting point, and each annual round shows the change. Send us your SBI number and your hectares and we will send a written quote within two working days. Minimum project area is 150 hectares. Get a quote.
Part of our guide to soil carbon measurement for farms. Related: soil carbon credits for UK farmers · questions to ask a carbon scheme · how the accuracy is stated
