Carbon Farming
Carbon Farming
GS-3: Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation
(IAS/UPPCS)
Relevant for Prelims:
Carbon farming, greenhouse gas emissions, carbon trading, '4 per 1000' initiative.
Relevant for Mains:
Carbon farming, importance, challenges, some related initiatives, prospects of carbon farming in India, conclusion.
07/05/2024
Source: TH
Context:
Carbon is found in all living organisms and many minerals. It is an essential element for life on Earth and plays a vital role in various processes including photosynthesis, respiration and the carbon cycle.
- In general, farming is the practice of cultivating land, growing crops, and/or raising livestock for food, fiber, fuel, or other resources.
- It involves a wide range of activities from planting and harvesting crops to managing livestock and maintaining agricultural infrastructure.
What is carbon farming:
- A simple implementation of carbon farming is rotational grazing. This is also known as carbon sequestration. It is a system of agricultural management that helps to store more carbon in the land and reduce the amount of GHGs that coal releases into the environment.
- It includes agroforestry, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, agro-ecology, livestock management and land restoration.
Significance of carbon farming:
- Carbon farming restore ecosystem health while improving agricultural productivity and soil health.
- It can mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing carbon storage in agricultural landscapes.
- It can mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by increasing carbon storage in agricultural landscapes.
- Carbon farming can be easily adopted in different agro-climatic zones.
- It can also help ameliorate soil degradation, water scarcity, and challenges related to climate variability.
What are the challenges of carbon farming:
- Carbon farming offers many benefits, its effectiveness depends on many factors – geographical location, soil type, crop selection, water availability, biodiversity and size and scale of the farm.
- Its usefulness also depends on land management practices, adequate policy support and community participation.
- Areas with a long growing season, adequate rainfall and adequate irrigation are best suited for carbon farming as they provide the best conditions to sequester carbon through vegetative growth.
Adequate Rainfall:
- In areas with adequate rainfall and fertile soils, the potential for carbon sequestration may be particularly high through practices such as agroforestry (integrating trees and shrubs with crops) and conservation agriculture (reducing soil disturbance).
Hot and dry areas:
- Carbon farming can be challenging in hot and dry areas where water availability is limited, and drinking and washing needs take priority.
Limited availability of water:
- Limited availability of water can hinder plant growth, thus limiting the ability to undergo photosynthesis. For example, practices such as cover cropping, which require additional vegetation between main crop cycles, may not be viable due to the additional water demands.
Crop Selection:
- Additionally, choosing which plants to grow is important because not all species trap and store carbon in equal amounts or equally effectively. Fast-growing trees and deep-rooted perennial grasses are better at this task – but on the other hand, these types of plants may not be suitable for dry environments.
Financial Assistance:
- Farmers adopting carbon farming practices may require financial assistance to overcome the costs of implementing them. In the context of developing countries like India, small-scale farmers may lack the resources to invest in sustainable land management practices and environmental services.
Some initiatives related to carbon farming around the world:
Carbon Trading:
- In recent years, the practice of carbon trading in agriculture has become important around the world, but especially in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, where voluntary carbon markets have emerged.
- Initiatives such as the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Carbon Farming Initiative in Australia demonstrate efforts to encourage carbon mitigation activities in agriculture.
- These efforts range from no-till farming to reforestation and pollution reduction.
Carbon Project:
- Initiatives such as Kenya's Agricultural Carbon Project, which is supported by the World Bank, also highlight the potential of carbon farming to address climate mitigation and adaptation and food security challenges in economically developing countries.
'4 per 1000' Initiative:
- The launch of the '4 per 1000' initiative during the COP21 climate talks in Paris in 2015 highlights the special role of sinks in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
Prospects of carbon farming in India:
- Grassroots initiatives and agricultural research schemes in India are demonstrating the feasibility of organic farming for carbon sequestration.
- In this regard, agro-ecological practices in India can yield significant economic benefits, with the potential to generate a value of $63 billion from approximately 170 million hectares of cultivable land.
- This estimate includes annual payments of about Rs 25,000-6,000 per acre to farmers for providing climate services by adopting sustainable farming practices.
Areas suitable for carbon farming:
- In India, areas with extensive agricultural land, such as the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Deccan Plateau, are suitable for adopting carbon farming, while the hilly areas associated with the Himalayas are not suitable for it.
- Coastal areas are more prone to salinization and have limited access to resources, limiting the adoption of traditional agricultural practices.
- Additionally, carbon credit systems can incentivize farmers by providing additional income through environmental services.
- Studies have shown that agricultural soils could absorb the equivalent of 3-8 billion tons of CO2 every year over 20-30 years.
- This capability can bridge the gap between feasible emissions reductions and inevitable stabilization of the climate. Therefore, carbon farming can also be a sustainable strategy to mitigate climate change and increase food security in India.
- But scaling up requires concerted efforts to address several challenges including limited awareness, inadequate policy support, technical barriers and an enabling adoption environment.
Conclusion:
Carbon farming can be a strategic and beneficial step to reduce the rapid climate change and increasing carbon emissions. Promoting carbon farming is in India's interest as it can mitigate climate change while improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity and creating economic opportunities for its adopters.
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Mains Exam Question:
Keeping in view the possibilities and importance of carbon farming in India, mention the challenges facing it.