KARBONMAT: Designing sustainable business model (SBM) concepts for carbon sequestration in soils to transform the Norwegian food system

Foto: Colourbox
Foto: Colourbox

Research objectives

The overall objective of KARBONMAT is to develop sustainable business model (SBM) concepts for carbon sequestering soils in Norwegian agriculture that enable farmers to adopt healthy soil management practices, and companies to invest in these to contribute to local sustainable food systems, new practices in primary production, improve biodiversity and reduce their climate footprint.

  • Secondary objectives include to:​
  1. identify and revise existing carbon sequestering soil management practices (SMPs) relevant for the Norwegian context and document their relevance for the Norwegian context by a practical field trial (WP1)
  2. measure environmental sustainability effects of carbon sequestering soil management practices in Norwegian agriculture (WP1)
  3. explore legal and policy frameworks that may facilitate or inhibit the application of SBM concepts for carbon sequestering soils in Norwegian agriculture (WP2)
  4. review existing business models for valorising carbon in soils and analyse how these might be applied in a Norwegian context (WP3)
  5. investigate the interest towards existing business models for valorising carbon among Norwegian farmers and co-design optimal BMs from the farmers’ perspective (WP4)
  6. explore the interest of Norwegian companies in investing in carbon sequestering soil management practices (WP5)
  7. develop and recommend measures for the implementation of SBM concepts for carbon rich soils in Norwegian agriculture with relevant stakeholders (WP6)
  8. integrate responsible research and innovation principles and practices in the project (WP7)

    "Multi-Actor Platform" meeting

    “Multi-Actor Platform” meeting in September 2024 at Vikersund, Norway.

Work packages

  • Work package 1: Identification and measurement of effects of carbon sequestering soil management practices relevant for Norwegian food production and their multiple sustainability effects (WP leader: Anders Næss, Grønt Fagsenter Buskerud)​
  • Work package 2: Exploring appropriate legal and policy frameworks for carbon sequestering soils (WP leader: Pia Otte, Ruralis)​
  • Work package 3: Review of existing business models for sequestering carbon in soils and analysis of application for Norway (WP leader: Natalia Mæhle, HVL)​
  • Work package 4: Interest towards SBM concepts for sequestering carbon among Norwegian farmers (WP leader: Maja Farstad, Ruralis)​
  • Work package 5: Investigating companies’ requirements for SBM concepts sequestering carbon in agriculture Norway (WP leader: Natalia Mæhle, HVL)​
  • Work package 6: Developing measures for implementing SBM concepts sequestering carbon in agriculture Norway (WP leader: Pia Otte, Ruralis and Natalia Mæhle, HVL)​
  • Work package 7: Ensuring Responsible Research and Innovation (WP leader: Arnt Fløysand, Ruralis)​
  • Work package 8: Communication and dissemination (WP leader: Isabelle Hugøy, Ruralis)

Project Group

News

Illustrasjonsbilde

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Did you miss out on our contribution to the European Carbon Farming Summit 2026?

   

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The Karbonmat team presents first findings in Trondheim

During the project meeting, the Karbonmat project team discussed new developments in the field of soil health, carbon…

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Report from Iceland, Karbonmat

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Karbonmat on fieldwork in Belgium and the Netherlands

Carbon sequestration is an important topic at the EU level and three new rules have been recently adopted…

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Publications

  • Article

2026

A-4/26 Crowdfunding of climate measures in agriculture: investigation of success factors in a real-life setting

Contributors: Natalia Maehle

Description

Forfattere: Pia Piroschka Otte, Natalia Maehle og Rita Moseng Sivertsvik

Purpose Promising climate mitigation practices are costly for farmers within the current regulatory, market and business frameworks. There is a need for innovative solutions that ensure that farmers are paid and supported for their efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Crowdfunding represents a novel approach with high potential. This article tests previously identified success factors for crowdfunding in a study of two sustainable crowdfunding campaigns in Norwegian agriculture in a real-life setting. Design/methodology/approach We designed real-life crowdfunding campaigns with two Norwegian farmers and carried out semi-structured interviews with them and their backers to discuss their experiences with crowdfunding. We also analysed both campaign descriptions. Findings One of the crowdfunding campaigns was unsuccessful with no backers, while the other one collected 88 per cent of the targeted amount with 82 backers. The farmer of the successful campaign communicated actively with backers and showed a strong emotional appeal in the campaign description. Originality/value This study contributes to testing previously identified success factors for sustainable crowdfunding and crowdfunding of climate measures in agriculture in real-life settings. Furthermore, the study contributes to the under-investigated topic of crowdfunding climate measures in agriculture, which is a potential innovative approach for reducing GHG emissions and increasing uptake of climate mitigation measures.

Baltic Journal of Management, https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-05-2025-0400

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