Context

• In recent years, the practice of carbon trading in agriculture has become important around the world, especially in the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

What is carbon farming?

• Carbon farming is a set of agricultural methods aimed at storing carbon in soil, crop roots, wood and leaves.
• Carbon farming is a component of climate-smart agriculture. This is one of the ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Benefits of Carbon Farming

• Carbon farming encompasses agroforestry, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, agro-ecology, livestock management and land restoration.
• Agroforestry practices, including silvopasture and alder cropping, can diversify farm income by storing carbon in trees and shrubs.
• In places with intensive agricultural activities, conservation agriculture techniques such as zero tillage, crop rotation, cover crops and crop residue management (stubble retention and composting) can help reduce soil erosion and increase organic matter.
• Integrated nutrient management practices boost soil fertility and reduce emissions by using organic fertilisers and manure.
• Agroecological approaches such as crop diversification and intercropping are beneficial for ecosystem resilience.
• Livestock management strategies including rotational grazing, optimising forage quality and animal waste management can reduce methane emissions and increase the amount of carbon stored in pasture lands.

Its effectiveness depends on many factors-

• Geographical situation
•  Soil type
• Crop selection
• Water availability
• Biodiversity and farm size and scale.
• Land management practices, adequate policy support and community engagement

Examples of carbon farming schemes around the world

• In recent years, the practice of carbon trading in the agricultural sector has become important around the world, but particularly 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.
•   Processes range from no-till farming (growing crops without disturbing the soil) to reforestation and pollution reduction.
• 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.
• 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.
• As the oceans and atmosphere become saturated with carbon, and are approaching their saturation point, all countries together must manage a carbon budget of 390 billion tons.

Opportunities in india

• As climate change intensifies, climate-resilient and emission-reducing agricultural practices can benefit from adaptation strategies.
• Grassroots initiatives and leading agricultural research in India are demonstrating the feasibility of organic farming to sequester carbon.
• 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 an annual payment of about ₹5,000–6,000 per acre to farmers for providing climate services by adopting sustainable farming practices.
• 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 of the Himalayan region are not.
• Coastal areas are more prone to salinization and have limited access to resources, limiting the adoption of traditional agricultural practices.
• Furthermore, carbon credit systems can incentivize farmers by providing additional income through environmental services.
• Studies have shown that agricultural soils could absorb 3-8 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent every year over 20-30 years.
• This capability could bridge the gap between viable emissions reductions and inevitable stabilisation of the climate.
• Therefore, carbon farming can also be a sustainable strategy to mitigate climate change and increase food security in India.
• But to scale it up, concerted efforts are required to address several challenges such as limited awareness, inadequate policy support, technical barriers, etc. Nevertheless, it is in India's interest to promote carbon farming.

Important Facts For Exam

Carbon

• Found in all living organisms and many minerals.
• It is fundamental to life on Earth and plays a vital role in a variety of processes, including photosynthesis, respiration, and the carbon cycle.
• It involves a wide range of activities from planting and harvesting crops to managing livestock and maintaining agricultural infrastructure.
• Agricultural production depends on photosynthesis of plants, through which plants capture CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it into various agricultural products like food, vegetation, fuel or fibre.