Scientists at The James Hutton Institute, along with technology developers and community organisations from the UK, Ghana and Brazil, are helping smallholder farmers in Ghana adopt climate-smart, regenerative agricultural practices to address the challenges of poor soil health and the increasing impacts of climate change, both of which threaten food security and rural livelihoods.
CarbonXtras was awarded £100,000 from Innovate UK Business Connect and offers an innovative and sustainable alternative to existing practices by helping farmers restore their soil, increase crop yields and access new revenue through carbon-friendly farming.
The soil scanner used in the project
The project team has joined forces with Aberdeen-based Sonavision, sonavision.co.uk, to design and scale up a low-cost, farmer-friendly retractable soil sensor. The data captured by this cutting-edge technology will feed into a real-time Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) platform developed at the Hutton, enabling the prediction of changes in soil carbon and overall soil health when farmers implement regenerative practices such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and reduced tillage.
Jagadeesh Yeluripati, senior scientist at the Hutton explains more: “Many farmers in Ghana struggle to maintain crop productivity due to soil degradation and unpredictable weather patterns.
“Some are resorting to gold mining on their farmlands as a last option, which further damages the soil and jeopardises long-term food production.
“This MRV digital tool, will be tested for its robustness and efficacy in four field trials covering different climate and soil conditions in Ghana, collecting data from farms using specially designed soil sensors and mobile applications, tracking soil health, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage. It provides farmers with tailored advice on improving their practices and adapting to climate risks.”
Jagadeesh Yeluripati
The verified data generated through the MRV system has the potential to provide farmers with a new income stream that rewards them for sustainable farming.
The project builds on successful trials conducted in Scotland and data generated in Brazil, with technology adapted to local African conditions and languages. Ultimately, CarbonXtras aims to empower African farmers as active participants in the
global fight against climate change while enhancing their ability to produce food, support their families, and protect the land for future generations.