Carbon Farming: A Path to Sustainable Agriculture | 10 May 2024

Source: TH

Why in News?

Recently, carbon farming has emerged as a promising approach to sustainable agriculture.

• It integrates regenerative farming methods aimed at enhancing soil health and agricultural yield while also addressing the challenges of climate change.

What is Carbon Farming?

• About:
  
  • Carbon farming is an approach to agriculture that focuses on managing agricultural and forestry practices to increase carbon sequestration (the capture and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
    
    • It aims to mitigate climate change by enhancing carbon storage in soil and vegetation, improving soil health, and reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural activities.
• Need for Carbon Farming:
  
  • Atmospheric CO₂ Buildup: There is an alarming rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, a major driver of climate change.
    
    • Carbon farming practices can help in drawing CO₂ out of the atmosphere and storing it for long periods.
  • Carbon Sequestration Potential: Research published in Nature Climate Change emphasises the potential of agricultural soils to act as significant carbon sinks, effectively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere.
    
    • Carbon farming practices directly enhance this potential by creating ideal conditions for increased carbon sequestration.
  • Soil Degradation: There is a critical issue of soil degradation due to conventional farming practices. This degradation reduces the ability of soil to store carbon.
    
    • Carbon farming practices, such as cover cropping and reduced tillage, promote healthy soil biology and organic matter content, which significantly increases the soil's capacity to capture and store carbon.
  • Regenerative Practices: Carbon farming practices like compost application can improve soil health, fertility, and overall agricultural productivity.
    
    • These practices address soil degradation and create a natural system that actively pulls down atmospheric CO₂, contributing to climate change mitigation.
• Types of Carbon Farming Practices: These practice help in improved soil health, increased biodiversity, reduced need for chemicals, reduces methane emissions, increases carbon storage in pastures etc.

What are the Challenges Associated with Carbon Farming?

• Standardisation and Certification: A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights the lack of standardised methodologies for measuring carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.
  
  • This makes it difficult to verify carbon credits generated through carbon farming practices.
• Lack of Awareness and Extension Services: A report by the Government of India's NITI Aayog highlights the limited awareness among Indian farmers about carbon farming practices and their benefits.
• Small Landholdings and Short-Term Focus: There is the dominance of small and fragmented landholdings in India. This can make large-scale implementation of carbon farming practices more challenging.
• Policy and Regulatory Frameworks: A report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) emphasises the need for robust policy and regulatory frameworks to incentivize carbon farming practices in India.
• Financial Incentives and Market Access: A research paper published by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) underlines the importance of providing financial incentives like subsidies or carbon credit schemes to encourage farmer adoption of carbon farming practices.
  
  • Limited access to carbon markets also poses a challenge.
• Other Challenges:
  
  • Hot and Dry Areas: Limited water availability restricts plant growth and carbon sequestration potential.
  • Water Prioritization: Water scarcity for drinking and washing needs limits agricultural practices.
  • Challenges with Cover Cropping: Additional water demand may make practices like cover cropping unviable.
  • Plant Selection: Not all plant species are equally effective at trapping and storing carbon, especially in arid environments.

Way Forward

• Climate Change and Agriculture: Climate-resilient and emission-reducing agricultural practices can benefit from adaptation strategies.
  
  • Agriculture plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
• Viability of Organic Farming in India: Grassroots initiatives and agrarian research in India demonstrate the viability of organic farming for carbon sequestration.
• Economic Potential of Agro-ecological Practices: Agro-ecological practices in India have the potential to generate USD 63 billion from about 170 million hectares of arable land.
  
  • Farmers could receive an annual payment of around ₹5,000-6,000 per acre for providing climate services through sustainable agricultural practices.
• Regional Suitability for Carbon Farming: Regions like the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Deccan Plateau are well-suited for carbon farming.
  
  • The mountainous terrain of the Himalayan region and coastal areas face challenges like salinisation and limited resources, limiting the adoption of traditional farming practices. Therefore, these areas can be utilised for carbon farming after capacity building.
• Role of Carbon Credit Systems: Carbon credit systems can incentivise farmers by providing additional income through environmental services.
  
  • Agricultural soils have the capacity to absorb 3-8 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent annually over 20-30 years, bridging the gap between feasible emissions reductions and climate stabilization.