SNV REDD | 04-14 

This report assesses three approaches that standards use to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from commodity crop production (1) verifying that low emissions practices have been implemented (2) quantifying GHG emissions on farms and (3) supporting the development of carbon credit generating projects. 

  

The focus of land-use related efforts in developing countries to reduce carbon emissions has been on slowing deforestation, yet international agreements are to reduce emissions from both deforestation and forest degradation (REDD). The second D is poorly understood and accounted for a number of technical and policy reasons. Here we introduce a complete accounting method for estimating emission factors from selective timber harvesting, a substantial form of forest degradation in many tropical developing countries.

  

The decision of whether to retain forest or convert to another land use is affected by uncertainty over future land-use returns. This paper examines the design of conservation payments to landowners under uncertainty. Payments are indexed to the returns from forest conversion (agriculture), or to a market value associated with forest non-use benefits.