A Q&A with a carbon project sales professional

The carbon chatter has exploded over the past few years and the conversation doesn’t seem to be waning. With the worldwide carbon market expected to more than double to $2.68 trillion by 2028, there is an unprecedented opportunity for farmers to take advantage of this new market and diversify on-farm income¹. 

However, farmers have to weigh the benefits of a carbon program versus the reward – and each program is different. Newcomer Loam Bio is helping farmers navigate questions and enter the carbon market in a way they haven’t seen or experienced before. 

Terry Hansen, Director of Sales at Loam Bio, shares more on Loam Bio technologies and their carbon project.  

Who is Loam Bio?

Loam Bio made its product debut in the U.S. in January 2024 but has been conducting research here for several years and has a significant presence in Australia. 

They developed a scientifically backed tool to help unlock and store stable carbon in soil. 

What is this scientifically backed tool?

Loam Bio developed the world’s first ‘carbon fixing’ fungal inoculant, CarbonBuilder™, which builds stable soil carbon. 

U.S. farmers currently have access to CarbonBuilder on soybean acres, and in 2025, both corn and soybeans. Loam Bio has plans to extend into additional crops in 2026.

Seed inoculum serves as a seed lubricant, coating seeding and building stable soil carbon. Photo submitted by Loam Bio.

How is the inoculant used?

The inoculant is applied at planting as a graphite-talc powder, replacing farmers’ existing seed lubricant. CarbonBuilder is a seamless addition, requiring minimal behavior change while delivering game-changing innovation for carbon capture in agriculture. 

How does this help farmers enter the carbon market?

Farmers can enter carbon markets by using CarbonBuilder, satisfying the additionality requirement, and enrolling in Loam Bio’s SecondCrop™ carbon program. Through SecondCrop:

What is stable carbon?

Using CarbonBuilder, farmers boost aggregate and mineral-association carbon, the most stable carbon pools, lasting up to 100 years or more. Peer-reviewed research from Western Sydney University showed inoculation with fungi from Loam Bio’s microbial library delivered a 9.4% higher carbon level in the soil.  

SecondCrop’s outcome-based approach ensures the stability and performance of carbon stored, delivering higher quality credits. 

By harnessing the power of microbes, Loam is unlocking the opportunity to remove carbon at a gigatonne scale from the atmosphere, while increasing soil productivity in agriculture. Photo submitted by Loam Bio.

How does CarbonBuilder enhance plant and soil health?

Root-associated fungal endophytes, the group of organisms that CarbonBuilder belongs to, play a pivotal role in enhancing plant performance and increasing soil health by mobilizing nutrients, protecting from pathogens, alleviating stress, and enhancing nutrient supply indirectly through a stimulatory effect on soil microbial biomass. Loam Bio researchers continue to explore how these microbes benefit soil health and plant performance.

Where can farmers find more information?

Farmers can visit LoamBio.com/US/ to learn more about CarbonBuilder and SecondCrop. 

¹ Global Carbon Credit Market: Analysis by Traded Value, Traded Volume, Segment, Project Category, Region, Size and Trends with Impact of COVID-19 and Forecast up to 2028 https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5774731