Carbon Farming

08.05.2024

Carbon Farming

Why in the news?   

                       The practice of carbon farming is easy to adopt across various agro-climatic zones and it can also help ameliorate soil degradation, water scarcity and challenges related to climate variability.

About Carbon Farming:

• It is a whole farm approach to optimizing carbon capture on working landscapes by implementing practices that are known to improve the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant material and/or soil organic matter.
• Its effectiveness varies depending on multiple factors: geographical location, soil type, crop selection, water availability, biodiversity and farm size and scale. Its usefulness also depends on land management practices, sufficient policy support and community engagement.

How can carbon farming help?

• A simple implementation of carbon farming is rotational grazing. Others include agroforestry, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, agro-ecology, livestock management and land restoration.
• Agroforestry practices: It includes silvopasture and alley cropping which can further diversify farm income by sequestering carbon in trees and shrubs.
• Conservation agriculture techniques: It includes zero tillage, crop rotation, cover cropping and crop residue management (stubble retention and composting) can help minimize soil disturbance and enhance organic content, particularly in places with other intense agricultural activities.
• Integrated nutrient management practices promote soil fertility and reduce emissions by using organic fertilizers and compost.
• Agro-ecological approaches such as crop diversification and intercropping have benefits for ecosystem resilience.
• Livestock management strategies including rotational grazing, optimizing feed quality, and managing animal waste can reduce methane emissions and increase the amount of carbon stored away in pasture lands.

Carbon farming schemes worldwide

• In the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Canada voluntary carbon markets have emerged.
• Initiatives like the Chicago Climate Exchange and the Carbon Farming Initiative in Australia demonstrate efforts to incentivise carbon mitigation activities in agriculture.
• The launch of the ‘4 per 1000’ initiative during the COP21 climate talks in 2015 in Paris highlights the particular role of sinks in mitigating greenhouse-gas emissions.

●The oceans and the atmosphere are filled with carbon, and they approach their saturation points.

●Hence, we must manage the remaining carbon budget of 390 billion tonnes or so wisely.

• Agricultural Carbon Project: It is Kenya’s initiative which is supported by the World Bank and highlights the potential for carbon farming.

Opportunities for carbon farming in India

• Agro-ecological practices in India could yield significant economic benefits, with the potential to generate $63 billion in value from approximately 170 million hectares of arable land.
• This estimate includes an annual payment of around ₹5,000-6,000 per acre for farmers to provide climate services by adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
• Regions with extensive agricultural land, such as the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Deccan Plateau, are well suited to adopt carbon farming.
• Coastal areas are prone to salinisation and have limited access to resources, thus limited the adoption of traditional farming practices.
• Carbon credit systems can incentivise farmers by providing additional income through environmental services.
• India’s journey towards achieving carbon neutrality while maintaining food security
• Studies have shown agricultural soils can absorb 3-8 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent every year over 20-30 years.
• This capacity can bridge the gap between feasible emissions reductions and the indispensable stabilization of the climate.
• So, carbon farming could also be a sustainable strategy to mitigate climate change and enhance food security in India.

                                                                       Source: The Hindu

Consider the following statements regarding the Carbon Farming:

1. It is a whole farm approach to optimize carbon capture on working landscapes.

2. It can help ameliorate soil degradation only.

3.Its effectiveness varies depending on multiple factors: geographical location, soil type, crop selection, water availability, biodiversity, and farm size and scale.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only one

B.Only two

C.All three

D.None

Answer B