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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Agricultural carbon credits as a pathway to the sustainable development goals

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14744
Submitted
28 March 2026
Published
14-08-2026

Abstract

Agricultural carbon credits are emerging as a promising policy and market instrument for addressing climate change while supporting sustainable agricultural systems. This study offers a novel integrated synthesis by combining a systematic literature review, bibliometric analysis and the antecedents-decisions-outcomes (ADO) framework to examine both research trends and farmer-level sustainability impacts. A total of 159 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025 were retrieved from the Scopus database using defined keywords related to carbon credits, carbon markets and agriculture and were selected based on PRISMA inclusion and exclusion criteria, restricting the analysis to English-language journal articles. Bibliometric tools such as VOS viewer and Biblioshiny were used to analyse publication patterns, research collaborations and thematic evolution. The results indicate a rapid annual growth rate of 61.05 % in publications, reflecting increasing global interest in integrating carbon sequestration with agricultural practices. Major research themes include soil carbon management, emissions reduction, carbon trading systems and climate-resilient farming approaches. The ADO framework, which links contextual drivers (antecedents) to farmer decisions and resulting economic, social and environmental outcomes, was applied to examine farmer participation and its impacts. Evidence shows that participation in carbon credit programmes can generate additional income, improve soil quality, enhance climate resilience and support environmental sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting ecosystem conservation. However, adoption remains constrained by high implementation and verification costs, low farmer awareness, limited access to technology and uncertainties in carbon measurement and market stability. The study also identifies key research gaps, including long-term carbon storage, economic feasibility for smallholders and equitable access to carbon markets. The findings highlight the need for policies that promote low-cost monitoring systems, stable carbon pricing and inclusive market access, while future research should prioritise long-term empirical validation and equity-focused carbon market design.

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