Carbon Farming

What Is Carbon Farming?

Carbon farming is a set of agriculture practices specific to improve the rate at which carbon is taken from the atmosphere and instead stored in soil. When plants do photosynthesis they remove carbon from the air and store it for energy. Once a plant lifespan ends the carbon either will go back where it came from in the atmosphere or into the soil for a long period of time. Carbon Farming is a more of an organic way to farm because you don’t use any fertilizers or chemicals for your crops. Instead you use compost and rely on that to enrich your soil. Some techniques of carbon farming are to grow cover crops in the offseason instead of leaving croplands empty , left over biomass is returned to the soil as mulch after harvest instead of being removed or burned.

Why Carbon farm?

Many might ask why carbon farm instead of using traditional farming practices that are more known and more easier to do. Traditional farming might include driving a tractor and taking down forests which all cause carbon dioxide to go to the atmosphere. Studies show that one third of the carbon in the atmosphere is caused from agriculture practices. Climate change is the global warming caused by human emission of greenhouse gases.This is a big problem right now in our world and a key way to solve this is Carbon Farming. Carbon farming allows you to offset the emissions of greenhouse gas by putting carbon in the soil instead of in the atmosphere. By doing this you are reducing climate change and as well having a healthier food system. During the United Nations climate talks in December, 25, 2019 , Many countries agreed to pursue carbon farming. Carbon farming has other benefits than reducing climate change. Practicing carbon farming helps bring degraded soil back to fertile land. It also can increase your crop production which in the long run can make you more profit. Another reason someone might carbon farm is because no pollution is caused from this specific type of farming which means a healthier Earth. Although carbon farming is sustainable it is not the easiest to keep up because you always have to rotate your crops and have a very diverse crop selection not just the crops that will make you the most cash.

Carbon Farming Initiative by Eco Citizen Australia

How it is it done ?

Carbon Farming is done by using basically all organic techniques on your farm instead of applying any chemicals to your crops. An example of these techniques include turning all manure and other organic waste to compost for your crops. This saves money instead of having to buy tons of fertilizers for acres of land. Also by doing this allows you to avoid all the air quality issues conventional farms have. For a farmer to convert his farm to a carbon farm they would need to contact a resource conservation district (RCD). RCDS make partnerships with other farmers to get them to start carbon farms in their districts and to expand the message of carbon farms.

BEnefits of Carbon Farming

Some extra benefits of carbon include farming. Practicing farming  adds benefits of restoring degraded soils as well as enhancing crop production. Reducing pollution by minimizing erosion and nutrient runoff, purifying surface and groundwater, and increasing microbial activity and soil biodiversity. It is important to recognize the value of these other benefits, so they aren’t overlooked when implementing policies that encourage carbon sequestration in soil. This is the easiest and most reasonable environmental healthy way of farming.

Sources

https://www.greenamerica.org/food-climate/what-carbon-farming

https://www.marincarbonproject.org/what-is-carbon-farming

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-land-water/land-use/carbon-farming

Published by Isaiah Adkins