# Low-Carbon Certification Systems in Agriculture: A Review
## 2 Eco/Green Certification Systems in Agriculture  
Certification is a procedure by which a third party provides written assurance that a product, process, or service along the supply chain conforms with certain standards [17]. Certification systems are a crucial component of many industries and ensure that their owners possess the necessary qualifications to perform their duties competently and safely. The most common types of certification systems include professional certification, management system certification, and product certification [18]. Certification of products is a process by which a third party confirms that a product meets certain standards or criteria, mainly related to quality, safety, and environmental impact. Once a product has been certified, it is given a mark or label that indicates its compliance with these standards [19]. There are several international standards that govern the certification of products [20]. These include the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the British Standards Institution (BSI), the French Ministry for Ecological Transition (METS), the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD), the World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Product/Organization Environmental Footprint (P/O EF), and The European Food Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Round Table. Certification in the agricultural sector provides a mechanism to verify and communicate the quality and sustainability of agricultural products [21; 22; 23]. Eco/green certification systems in agriculture have attracted great interest in recent years as a means to promote sustainable practices and meet consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. They aim to quantify and reduce GHG emissions associated with agricultural production as well as promote sustainable farming practices by considering factors such as manure management, fertilizer application, and energy use. The scope of eco/green certification has expanded beyond individual products to cover entire supply chains, addressing also social and economic dimensions. Various certification schemes have been established globally to address different aspects of agricultural production, including organic farming, fair trade practices, sustainable agriculture, and low carbon/GHG emissions [24]. These schemes involve a set of standards and criteria that farmers must meet to obtain certification for their products. Organic certification is one of the most well-known and widely practiced forms of agricultural certification. It ensures that agricultural products are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Furthermore, in the last years, a lot of emphasis has been given to standardization, certification, and development of biobased slow-release fertilizers (SRFs), such as biochar, to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts, improve crop growth and quality, and thus promote sustainable agriculture [25; 26]  
Organic certification programs in agriculture have emerged to address environmental and social concerns in global supply chains [27]. These programs assess agricultural practices based on criteria such as soil health, water conservation, biodiversity conservation, and labor conditions and involve traceability systems to verify sustainability claims, with different approaches used depending on market factors [28]. They provide assurance to consumers that the certified products are produced in an environmentally responsible and socially conscious manner. The low-carbon certification systems aim to establish a baseline scenario, facilitate effective carbon reduction measures, and define a crediting period to incentivize and reward farmers for their efforts in mitigating GHGs (Figure 1). The baseline scenario serves as the reference point and is crucial for quantifying the carbon reduction achieved through sustainable farming practices.