Carbon Neutral Farming Methods

 

Carbon Neutral Farming Methods: Relevance

• GS 3: Technology missions

 

Carbon Neutral Farming Methods: Context

• Kerala is set to become the first state in India to introduce carbon-neutral farming methods to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture.

Carbon Neutral Farming Methods Kerala: Key points

• The state will introduce carbon-neutral farming methods in selected locations, for which the government has allocated ₹6 crore in the 2022-23 Budget.
• In the first phase, carbon-neutral farming will be implemented in 13 farms, and steps are on to convert the State Seed Farm at Aluva a carbon-neutral farm.
• In the second phase, model carbon-neutral farms will be developed in all the 140 Assembly constituencies.

 

 

Carbon Neutral Farming Methods: Why important

• Carbon-neutral agriculture is becoming the need of the hour for environmental balance and improved health and safe sustenance of future generations.
• Kerala is witnessing the impact of global warming and climate change, as was evidenced by the unpredictable heavy rain and flooding in recent times.
• In such a situation, it is imperative for the state to adopt new and innovative agricultural practices.
• Carbon neutral agriculture would reduce carbon emissions and help carbon to be stored in the soil.

 

Carbon neutral agriculture Kerala

• The state government has decided to form an organic agriculture mission in 2022 to ensure the production of safe food within the state.
• As part of the mission, farmers will be trained in agriculture practices that reduce emission of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
• Further, ecological engineering, composting, increasing the level of organic carbon in the soil and carbon sequestration in soil will be given more thrust.
• Workshops on carbon neutral agriculture will be organised in every panchayat.

 

 

What is carbon neutral agriculture?

• Carbon farming is a system of agricultural management that helps the land store more carbon and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that it releases into the atmosphere.
• For example, Indian farmers can manage their grazing lands to conserve and restore vegetation, including tree cover along waterways.
• Similarly, farmers can also implement fertilizer reduction strategies, such as applying compost or biochar, to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases tied up in vegetation.

 

Need of carbon farming

• Agriculture and climate change are closely related.
• Agriculture is regarded as one of the main sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), two of the potent greenhouse gases, however, it also holds a great potential to sequester and store carbon in plants, trees and soils.
• A more carbon neutral agriculture is possible, if proper farm management practices are adopted to optimise the carbon balance in farming systems.
• These can include practices aiming at reducing livestock CH4 emission, practices that result in a reduced use of farm inputs (e.g. fuels, pesticides, fertilisers) or practices that help keep carbon stored in soils.

 

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