akar.earthALM: Definition
What is ALM (agricultural land management)? How ALM projects build soil carbon and cut farm emissions, and how they fit Indonesian smallholders.
ALM (agricultural land management) is a carbon project category covering changes in farming practice that increase carbon stored in agricultural soils and vegetation or reduce greenhouse gas emissions from farming. It is one of the AFOLU categories under Verra, alongside ARR, IFM, REDD and WRC.
Why it matters
Agriculture is a major emissions source, and farm soils have lost much of their original carbon. ALM projects pay farmers to adopt practices that rebuild soil organic carbon and cut emissions from fertiliser, rice paddies and livestock. For food companies, ALM-type interventions in their supply chains can also count as insetting.
How ALM is measured
Verra’s VM0042 is the main ALM methodology. It allows:
- Measure and model: soil sampling at baseline and later, combined with calibrated biogeochemical models.
- Measure and remeasure: direct soil sampling over time.
- Default factors: for some emission sources such as fertiliser nitrous oxide.
Soil carbon changes slowly and varies widely between fields, so sampling design, stratification and uncertainty deductions are crucial. Our soil carbon for smallholders guide explains practical options.
Indonesia angle
Indonesian farming is dominated by smallholders: rice in Java and Sulawesi, coffee, cocoa and spices in the uplands, oil palm and rubber in Sumatra and Kalimantan. ALM candidates include alternate wetting and drying in rice (which reduces methane), reduced burning of residues, and improved fertiliser use. Small farm sizes mean projects must aggregate many farmers, which raises registration, consent and monitoring costs. Where trees are added to farms, ARR or agroforestry approaches may fit better.
Common mistakes
- Expecting fast, large soil carbon gains on tropical soils.
- Under-sampling, which leads to big uncertainty deductions.
- Ignoring increased emissions from new inputs, such as more fertiliser.
- Claiming practice changes that farmers had already adopted.
Related terms
See soil organic carbon, agroforestry and ARR, or explore the agroforestry hub.
Frequently asked questions
What practices count as ALM?
Improved fertiliser management, reduced tillage, cover crops, residue retention, improved water management in rice, and grazing management. Some programmes include agroforestry within ALM or treat it separately.
Which methodology covers ALM?
Under Verra, VM0042 (Improved Agricultural Land Management) is the main methodology. Check the current version and its CCP status.