Alejandro Plastina, associate professor, was interviewed in an Aug. 4 Wallaces Farmer story, "Economist compares carbon credit, ecosystem service programs."
Alejandro Plastina, associate professor in economics and Extension economist at ISU, compared 11 private voluntary programs across 26 characteristics, in a new report called "How to Grow and Sell Carbon Credits in U.S. Agriculture."
"We thought that creating these comparisons would serve as a baseline for farmers, policymakers, Extension personnel and others, to help understand what is known and unknown at this point," Plastina says.
"What we are seeing so far is more a patchwork than a market," he says. "There are different rules, incentives and penalties depending on the program. The market is still in its formative stage and is very dynamic, focused on testing protocols through small-scale pilot programs, and lacks transparency and liquidity."