METHODOLOGY / EXPLAINER

From soil to data.
How the calculation works.

A visual tour of the framework of the European Union and its application to an olive grove in Spain. You can then test your own hectares with a hypothesis of additional carbon per hectare.

View the process Open simulator
TECHNICAL DESIGN OF THE PROJECT IN DEVELOPMENTNO RESULT FROM THIS PAGE IS A CREDIT

CHOOSE THE PATH · OCTOBER 2026

Two frameworks. Different requirements.

Select the route you want to explore. For an existing olive grove, we are studying the European carbon farming framework; the Spanish state register currently publishes requirements for forestry projects.

The EU’s voluntary CRCF framework includes a methodology for farming and agroforestry on mineral soils. For an olive grove, the parcel, practices and certification programme must meet its requirements. Approval of a methodology does not automatically certify a farm.

Status checked on 6 October 2026: the Commission’s public list of schemes ↗ shows applications for recognition under review. Before starting a project, check which scheme is recognised for this activity.

  1. 01Check eligibility

    Location, soil, previous land management and the proposed change. The certification scheme must apply the relevant European methodology.

  2. 02Define the baseline

    Establish with evidence what would happen without the project and prepare the required monitoring plan.

  3. 03Measure the net climate benefit

    Compare soil carbon and emissions with the baseline, including associated emissions, uncertainty and the required adjustments.

  4. 04Verify and register

    An independent entity audits the result. Only a recognized program will be able to certify and register units according to the European framework.

Sources: European Commission CRCF framework ↗ · European methodologies ↗

WHERE THE DATA COME FROM

Phone photos, satellite data or samples? They complement one another.

Studying a real farm involves combining different kinds of evidence according to the applicable methodology. A photo alone cannot calculate credits.

01 / FIELD

Photos taken by phone

They document practices, dates and the visible condition of a parcel. They support field records but do not measure soil carbon.

02 / LANDSCAPE

Satellite data

They help track changes in cover and vegetation over time. They need interpretation and contrast with what is happening on the ground.

03 / SOIL

Measurements and analysis

Soil samples and other field data provide direct measurements for the calculation required by the applicable method.

On this website: the main image and the olive grove diagram are conceptual; we do not yet show photos or satellite images of our own parcels. Source: European Commission, frequently asked questions about the CRCF framework ↗

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE / NOT A CRCF CALCULATION

Imagine 50 hectares of rainfed olive groves in Jaén.

The area alone does not generate credits. First, previous land management must be documented, a specific change introduced and the portion of the result attributable to that change measured.

HYPOTHETICAL PARCEL / JAÉN50 ha
Conceptual diagram of 50 modules; each module represents one hectare of olive grove, not a real farm
50 modules of 1 ha · Conceptual diagram, not a map of a real farm.
  1. 01

    Establish the starting point

    Document the previous management and define the baseline with the period and tests required by the applicable methodology: what would have happened without the project.

  2. 02

    Introduce and record the change

    For example, a planned cover crop. Its management, inputs and soil data are recorded throughout the monitoring period.

  3. 03

    Compare and make adjustments

    The measured change is compared to the baseline. Associated emissions, uncertainty and other adjustments to the methodology are then accounted for.

ARITHMETIC SIMULATION · 5 YEARS

The difference is what matters.

Suppose soil carbon changes by the following amounts per hectare. These figures are invented to explain the calculation.

No project +0.2 t C/ha
With project +0.8 t C/ha

+0.6 t C/ha hypothetical difference from the baseline.

CONVERSION TO CO₂

0.6 t C/ha × 50 has × 44/12

110 t CO₂

The 44/12 factor converts carbon into CO₂. This gross result illustrative corresponds to five years. Additional emissions, uncertainty and other adjustments would still need to be calculated; an independent entity would have to verify it.

CREDITS AVAILABLE IN THIS EXAMPLE0

This multiplication only helps to understand the difference with a baseline. Does not reproduce the European CRCF calculation, does not estimate the potential of any olive grove and is not equivalent to units eligible for certification. The normal growth of existing olive trees is also not automatically added. Consult the European methodologies ↗

GRAPHIC SIMULATOR

Now try it with your own hectares.

Enter the area and your own assumption for additional soil carbon per hectare compared with what would have happened without the project. The tool multiplies your assumptions; it does not apply the CRCF methodology or predict how much carbon your land will store.

YOUR ASSUMPTIONS 01 / 02

hectares

The area you want to explore; you do not need to say where it is.

?
What does it mean?

The baseline estimates how soil carbon would change if farming continued as before. Here you enter only the increase above that scenario, per hectare and in five years.

Hypothetical example: 0.8 − 0.2 = 0.6 t C/ha. This difference must be measured and validated; the simulator does not generate credits.

t C/ha

Tons of carbon per hectare in five years. Without soil data, this value is just a hypothesis.

The calculation runs in your browser; these values are not sent to our server.

ILLUSTRATIVE RESULT 02 / 02

50 ha1 module ≈ 1 ha
50 ha×0.6 t C/ha×44/12
110hypothetical gross tonnes of CO₂
in five years

With these assumptions, this is the gross difference before adjustments and audit.

CREDITS CERTIFIED BY THIS SIMULATOR0

This result is neither a professional estimate nor an offer of credits. Under the EU route, eligibility must be checked, land management documented, soil measured, a valid baseline established, other emissions and uncertainty quantified, and independent verification completed. Olive yield alone cannot be used to calculate certified units.

FROM EXAMPLE TO PROJECT

From a hypothetical figure to a verifiable result.

01

Farm and documented practicesDelimit plots and reconstruct previous management with evidence.

02

European technical planCheck that the activity fits into a CRCF methodology and measure according to its protocol, with the required adjustments and safeguards.

03

Audit and issuanceAn independent body reviews the project. Units could only be issued if the requirements of a recognised programme are met.

Do you manage a farm? Check the steps and costs before you start.

Guide for farmers