Effective governance structures for integrated carbon farming projects: evidence from Kenya

Friederike Schilling

In this paper, we explore the governance structures of carbon farming projects and assess how existing structures reduce transaction costs to facilitate the engagement of smallholder farmers. Building on qualitative data from eleven carbon farming projects in Kenya, we developed a generalized project-level governance structure. Our analysis of project-level governance structures revealed the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships, the importance of local implementation partners with strong connections to potential project participants and the need to develop multi-layer farmer-based structures for effective project implementation. The operational and geographic overlap of existing carbon farming projects, paired with recent growth in new projects entering the market, calls for the development of cross-project governance structures. Our findings provide important insights on the operationalization of smallholder carbon farming projects, relevant for project developers and policymakers in Kenya and beyond.

Event: World Bank Land Conference 2024 - Washington

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Document type:Effective governance structures for integrated carbon farming projects: evidence from Kenya (676 kB - pdf)