Low Carbon Farming

The farm sector offers significant opportunities for carbon sequestration and emission reductions. Emissions from farming contribute 14% of global Greenhouse Gases. In India, farming contributes to 28% of the national GHG emissions. These projects offer farmers the opportunity to capitalize on the carbon market, as they shift to agricultural methods that are more sustainable, involving lower input costs that result in reduction and sequestration (improved soil carbon content) of carbon emissions in the process.

Subsistence Cultivation to Sustainable Agriculture

An issue with subsistence cultivation carried out more as a custom or tradition, is that it offers very little excitement to the participants. When small, marginal and drought affected farmers attempt to imitate mainstream capital intensive practices, they land themselves in a soup due to insufficient knowledge, capital, and low risk taking capacity. The younger generation of farmers' sons and daughters get increasingly alienated and look to other, often non-existent, economic opportunities which are way beyond their reach. Unmet expectations and unsated dreams lead to a general frustration and discontent in the countryside.

Through low carbon farming, we can try to bring back the excitement in agriculture, using environmentally sound, state of the art technology that are not mainstream. This will absorb schooled and educated peasant youth in productive activities in an expanded rural economy. Skilled and motivated labour force will be engaged in profitable cultivation, with regular and reliable income. Field crops will be grown mainly for food security. Non-farm jobs and economic activities will be created through an increase in biomass.

Low Carbon Farming (LCF) Strategy

LCF supports sustainable farming by encouraging farmers to adopt practices that reduce/minimize/remove the use of synthetic fertilizers while, at the same time, improving soil carbon content. This is done through reduced tillage, anaerobic composting, using organic fertilizers, mulching, intercropping, multi-cropping, and a horde of techniques specially designed for particular regions, populations and climatic zones.

Planting fuel, fodder and fruit trees, and protecting those that are already there on the farms. Fast growing vegetation that do not encourage nesting by vermin can be planted on farm bunds and boundaries, or on plots that are not currently utilised to maximum potential, and used for mulching.

Planting multiple crops on the same field support biodiversity. Proper crop mixes, based on science and demonstrated results, promotes resilience by bringing about a balance in the farm ecology and reducing the risk of crop failures due to pest attack. Multiple cropping also reduces the risk exposure for farmers against erratic and spatial rainfall.

Environment Defense Fund - FCN Partnership

5 FCN Members from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu (Accion Fraterna, SEDS, SACRED, BEST and PWDS) have formed the FCN-LCF Coalition and undertaken a 1 year Pilot Project to enhance capacity and interpret their Sustainable Agriculture activities as emissions reduction.

The FCN-LCF Pilot will explore the viability of procuring Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) from the cultivation of 6,000 small, marginal and drought affected farmers on 8,000 hectares of land. In the first year they will:

1. Orient primary and secondary stakeholders on Low Carbon Farming — i.e. the generation of Emission Reductions and placing them in the non-compliance carbon market
2. Identify 6,000 Participating Farmers and delineate their Discrete Plots totalling 8,000 hectares
3. Inventorise current farming practices and calculate the Baseline Emissions in 5 regions where Coalition Member NGOs work
4. Develop Methodologies that clearly identify new practices that need to be adopted to reduce emissions
5. Calculate pragmatic Emissions Reductions that can be achieved by adopting these new practices

This Pilot is supported by EED, Germany, with a 1 year grant to capacitate Coalition Members, meet transaction costs, and undertake preparation activities.

EDF, New York, will provide the scientific backup and support for the project, and are committed to the long haul that any serious work in agriculture entails. Participants in the pilot will delineate the project boundaries, establish tenure, and develop VER contracts with farmers.

The FCN-EDF partnership will increase the reach of both parties.

• EDF is a science based organization that has worked for the last 10 years to develop methodologies and demonstrate VER generation potential for the agricultural sector across the globe. They have completed 100 plus projects in the USA and are currently engaged with the farming sector in China and Vietnam.
• FCN is the only Network of grassroots NGOs that have been effective in mobilising carbon revenues for the sustainable development of the poor.

LCF Technologies

To reduce agricultural CH₄ and N₂O emissions:

• Use reduced or no-tillage farming
• Alter crop mixes and rotations
• Change the timing, amounts, and frequency of the use of fertilizers and other inputs that use energy
• Change the mix of irrigated versus dry land
• Increase irrigation efficiency
• Change the management of livestock manure
• Change the types of livestock and their diets to reduce the release of methane from their digestive tracts
• Change approaches to managing water and straw in rice production

To reduce agricultural CO₂ emissions:

• Reduce tillage and other machinery-based production activities
• Change crop mixes and rotations
• Change the mix of irrigated versus dry land
• Increase irrigation efficiency

To store, or sequester, CO₂ in soil or biomass through agricultural activities:

• Reduce tillage
• Change crop mixes and rotations
• Change the timing, amounts, and frequency of the use of fertilizers and other inputs that use energy
• Convert cropland to grassland
• Improve the quantity and quality of forage on grazing land, and move herds more often