Carbon farming is an agricultural method aimed at sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil and agricultural crops. These practices are beneficial not only for mitigating climate change but also for enhancing the productivity and resilience of agricultural systems. By increasing the amount of carbon that’s captured and stored in soil and vegetation, carbon farming can help offset greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to sustainable farming.

Primary Practices Associated with Carbon Farming

• Agroforestry: Integrating trees into croplands and pastures. Trees sequester carbon while providing benefits like shade, windbreaks, and potentially even additional income sources like fruit or timber.
• Cover Crops: Growing crops to provide ground cover in between periods of main crop cultivation. Cover crops can improve soil health, reduce erosion, and capture carbon.
• Rotational Grazing: Managing livestock’s movement to prevent overgrazing in specific areas. This allows vegetation to recover, which can improve soil health and carbon storage.
• No-till or Reduced Tillage Farming: Limiting the disturbance of soil by reducing or eliminating plowing. Tilling releases carbon stored in the soil, so reduced tillage can help maintain or increase soil carbon levels.
• Composting: Applying compost to fields can enhance soil carbon storage, improve soil health, and boost crop yields.
• Hedgerows and Windbreaks: Planting trees and shrubs in lines to prevent soil erosion, protect against wind, and sequester carbon.
• Restoring Wetlands: Wetlands are significant carbon sinks, and their restoration can lead to increased carbon sequestration.
• Crop Diversity: Planting a variety of crops can improve soil health and resilience, leading to better carbon storage in the soil.

Carbon farming not only helps in carbon sequestration but also offers multiple co-benefits. Improved soil health can lead to better water retention, reducing the need for irrigation and increasing resilience against droughts. Additionally, healthier soils can lead to better crop yields and potentially reduce the need for fertilizers.

Carbon farming is increasingly seen as a win-win: farmers can potentially benefit from healthier, more productive soils and might access new revenue streams from selling carbon credits, and society benefits from the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.