Agriculture, the backbone of global food security and economies, sustains billions of lives. However, the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides since the Green Revolution has significantly degraded soil, depleting its carbon levels, a key indicator of soil health. Simultaneously, agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, with intensive farming practices releasing greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere.
The challenges facing agriculture in India are multifaceted: demand for fair crop prices and assured procurement, effective stubble management, deteriorating soil health, lack of crop diversification, depleting water levels and rising food demand, driven by a growing population.
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Addressing these challenges requires innovative solutions that safeguard farmers’ livelihoods, boost incomes and reduce environmental harm. Recognising their role in shaping a sustainable future, farmers are willing to adopt eco-friendly practices like carbon-negative farming, provided their profits remain intact.
Carbon-negative farming involves practices that remove more GHGs from the atmosphere than they emit. It surpasses carbon neutrality, which merely balances emissions with removals. This approach uses natural methods to capture carbon dioxide and store it in the soil, which is the best place for carbon.
Practices like agroforestry, cover cropping and biochar enable this transformation, with biochar emerging as particularly effective. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating crop residues through pyrolysis, a high-temperature, low-oxygen process that sequesters carbon in the soil for centuries.
Globally, Bhutan, Suriname and Panama are recognised as carbon-negative, with Sikkim leading as India’s first carbon-negative state. These examples highlight the feasibility and impact of sustainable practices at both global and local levels.
Carbon credits, a key driver of carbon-negative farming, offer farmers an opportunity to earn additional income. Each carbon credit certifies the removal of one metric tonne of carbon dioxide. These credits, calculated by using remote-sensing and AI-driven satellite data, enable farmers to monetise the carbon sequestered in their fields.
As corporations strive for carbon neutrality, the demand for carbon credits is increasing rapidly. Private players are enrolling farmers in programmes that reward sustainable practices with carbon credits, positioning carbon-negative farming as both an environmental solution and a profitable venture.
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Crop residue management is one of agriculture’s most pressing challenges. In Punjab and Haryana, stubble burning has escalated into a crisis, releasing massive GHGs and causing hazardous air pollution. This practice harms public health, degrades soil and pollutes the environment.
A sustainable solution lies in producing biochar from stubble, unlike burning, which releases carbon into the atmosphere. Biochar locks carbon in the soil, transforming waste into a valuable resource.
The concept of biochar is not new. It dates back to ancient Amazonian agriculture, where it was used to create fertile “Terra Preta” soils that remain productive even today.
Modern science has revived this practice, demonstrating its ability to improve soil health, enhance water retention, boost nutrient availability and reduce reliance on fertilisers. Farmers who adopt biochar often report increased yields and greater resilience to climate stresses within a single growing season.
However, scaling biochar production and adoption remain a significant challenge. In this context, the pyrolyser, a portable and automated machine developed by Applied Carbon, is transforming crop waste management by converting it into biochar directly in the field.
The pyrolyser employs a high-temperature, low-oxygen process powered by syngas, a byproduct of pyrolysis, making it self-sustaining. Designed for ease of use, it integrates seamlessly with tractors and harvesters. Once biochar is produced, it is quenched with water, enriched with nutrients or microbes tailored to farmers’ needs, and immediately applied to the fields. This process not only enhances soil fertility but also allows farmers to earn carbon credits, turning sustainable practices into a source of additional income.
India, with its vast agricultural landscape, stands to benefit immensely from carbon-negative farming. Punjab, a cornerstone of the nation’s food security, contributes 40-45 per cent of India’s wheat and 28-30 per cent of its rice. However, this productivity comes with challenges like stubble management, soil degradation and declining soil fertility.
A promising solution offered by the pyrolyser involves converting stubble into biochar. This approach enables farmers to improve soil health, reduce air pollution and earn additional income through carbon credits. It addresses India’s twin challenges of feeding a growing population and meeting international climate commitments.
Applied Carbon’s pyrolyser has gained global recognition, with five prototypes developed and $21.5 million raised for large-scale production. Microsoft, committed to becoming carbon-negative by 2030 and offsetting all historical emissions by 2050, has shown a keen interest in this technology. This collaboration underscores the growing synergy between corporate sustainability goals and transformative agricultural practices and offers a blueprint for scaling such innovations.
However, scaling the pyrolyser technology requires policy support, adequate funding and active public-private partnerships. Governments should provide subsidies, promote localised manufacturing and facilitate collaboration with agricultural engineers, technologists and AI experts to tailor solutions for local farming needs. These measures can ensure the widespread adoption of carbon-negative farming practices.
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Carbon-negative farming represents a transformative shift in agriculture, evolving it from a contributor to climate change into a part of the solution. By addressing challenges like GHG emissions, soil degradation and farmer livelihoods, it aligns agriculture with the broader goals of sustainability and environmental health.
Pyrolyser-based sustainable farming practices can be both environmentally and economically viable, allowing farmers to boost their incomes while contributing to a carbon-neutral and sustainable future.
The benefits of carbon-negative farming extend far beyond individual farms. By improving soil health, strengthening food security and addressing stubble burning and climate change, it tackles critical global challenges. Adopting sustainable agriculture reflects a collective commitment to securing a healthier planet and a better future for generations to come.
NOTE – This article was originally published in tribuneindia and can be viewed here
