Carbon Farming It’s Emerging Role in Soil Health and Climate Mitigation with Special Reference to Hill Agriculture

Vikas Sharma¹ , Neetu Sharma² , Rohit Sharma¹ , Ashu Sharma³

¹Regional Agricultural Research Station, Rajouri (Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu), MR34+5R9, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir 180009, India

²Division of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu (SKUAST-Jammu), MR34+5R9, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir 180009, India

³Division of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Corresponding Author Email: vsagron@gmail.com

DOI : https://doi.org/10.51470/eSL.2024.5.2.18

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Introduction

Carbon farming, a regenerative agricultural practice focused on enhancing the ability of soils and vegetation to absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide, is emerging as a transformative tool in the global fight against climate change. It involves implementing land management strategies that increase the organic carbon content of soils and vegetation while promoting biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving agricultural resilience [1]. As climate-smart agriculture gains traction globally, carbon farming stands out due to its capacity to address multiple objectives simultaneously—climate mitigation, food security, and environmental sustainability. In this conte

xt, the relevance of carbon farming becomes particularly significant for vulnerable and ecologically sensitive regions such as hill agriculture systems. Hill agriculture, often characterized by fragmented landholdings, sloping terrain, limited mechanization, and climatic variability, poses unique challenges for sustainable food production. Soils in hilly regions are prone to erosion, nutrient leaching, and degradation, resulting in declining productivity and food insecurity. Additionally, these areas are highly sensitive to the effects of climate change, including erratic rainfall, increasing temperatures, and extreme weather events. Consequently, maintaining soil fertility and ensuring long-term ecological balance are critical in these regions. Carbon farming offers a set of nature-based solutions tailored to improve soil structure, boost organic matter, and enhance ecosystem functions, all of which are vital for sustainable hill agriculture [2]. A key component of carbon farming is the sequestration of carbon through practices like agroforestry, conservation tillage, green manuring, cover cropping, and composting. These methods not only contribute to atmospheric carbon drawdown but also enhance the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In hilly landscapes, where soil erosion is a persistent problem, the adoption of such practices can significantly reduce topsoil loss, increase water retention, and stabilize slopes. For instance, agroforestry systems—integrating trees with crops or livestock—serve as windbreaks, enhance biomass production, and build resilience against climatic shocks while improving soil carbon levels [3], carbon farming contributes to climate mitigation by reducing emissions from conventional agriculture, which is a major source of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. Practices like reduced synthetic fertilizer use, improved manure management, and rotational grazing can significantly cut emissions while increasing carbon input into the soil. For hill farmers, these practices offer an environmentally and economically viable pathway to reduce input costs, boost productivity, and earn additional income through emerging carbon credit mechanisms [4]. The potential for hill regions to act as carbon sinks positions them as crucial stakeholders in national and international climate action frameworks. Incorporating carbon farming into hill agriculture also has far-reaching socio-economic implications. It empowers smallholder and marginal farmers—who often rely heavily on natural resources for their livelihoods—to adopt sustainable practices that improve food security and economic resilience. Community-based approaches to carbon farming, including participatory soil health monitoring, farmer field schools, and cooperatives, can enhance knowledge dissemination and promote collective action. Moreover, carbon farming aligns with traditional ecological knowledge often practiced in hilly regions, offering opportunities to blend indigenous practices with scientific innovations.

Lastly, policy support and institutional frameworks are essential to mainstream carbon farming in hill agriculture. Incentives such as subsidies for organic inputs, training programs, and integration of carbon farming into national rural development missions can facilitate widespread adoption [5]. Research institutions and extension services need to be mobilized to tailor region-specific strategies, monitor soil carbon changes, and ensure measurable outcomes. As the global community intensifies efforts to combat climate change and land degradation, carbon farming emerges not only as an environmental necessity but as a holistic pathway for sustainable and climate-resilient hill agriculture.

how improved cropping, agroforestry, and cover crops enhance carbon sequestration. Central to the diagram is a plant symbolizing CO₂ capture, with arrows linking important  practices to pathways like increased organic matter, root biomass, and active soil microbes. These lead to vital benefits: improved soil health and climate mitigation. The figure effectively highlights the integrated processes that make carbon farming a powerful tool for sustainable agriculture in fragile hill ecosystems.

1. Concept of Carbon Farming
Carbon farming refers to agricultural methods that increase the amount of carbon sequestered in soil and vegetation, thereby reducing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. It includes practices like agroforestry, reduced tillage, organic amendments, and rotational grazing which not only absorb carbon but improve soil health and ecosystem resilience [6]. The central idea is to transform farmlands into carbon sinks by mimicking natural ecosystems. These methods are particularly relevant in climate-sensitive hill regions, where ecological degradation can be reversed by enhancing biomass productivity and promoting biologically active soils through carbon sequestration.

2. Relevance to Hill Agriculture
Hill agriculture faces unique challenges such as soil erosion, shallow soils, water scarcity, and climatic variability. Carbon farming is especially suitable here, as it involves low-input, nature-based solutions that are compatible with the smallholder and subsistence nature of hill farming. The terrain in hills is often degraded and fragmented, making conventional farming unsustainable [7]. Carbon farming, through practices like contour cropping and agroforestry, offers integrated solutions to improve soil fertility, stabilize land, and provide sustainable yields under changing climatic conditions.

3. Soil Carbon Sequestration Mechanisms
Soil carbon sequestration in carbon farming works through increased organic matter input and reduced carbon loss. Plant residues, compost, and biochar are incorporated into the soil, improving soil structure and microbial life that stabilizes carbon in deeper layers. In hilly areas, the addition of organic matter also prevents erosion and enhances water retention, helping to stabilize slopes [8]. The practice not only locks carbon in soils but also supports nutrient cycling and improves overall productivity of degraded lands.

4. Role of Agroforestry
Agroforestry is a cornerstone of carbon farming, involving the integration of trees with crops or livestock. Trees capture carbon through photosynthesis and store it in their biomass and roots, while improving soil organic carbon through litterfall and root exudates [9]. In hilly regions, agroforestry enhances land productivity on sloping terrain, reduces erosion, provides shade and fodder, and serves as windbreaks. It creates a diverse landscape that is both productive and ecologically stable, adding economic and environmental value.

5. Conservation Tillage and Reduced Soil Disturbance
Conservation tillage minimizes soil disturbance, which preserves soil organic matter and maintains soil structure. This practice prevents carbon oxidation and slows down the loss of organic carbon from the soil into the atmosphere. In hill farming, where soils are shallow and prone to erosion, reduced tillage methods like strip tillage or no-till farming are beneficial [10]. They reduce mechanical stress on land, prevent runoff, and maintain soil cover, enhancing long-term sustainability.

6. Use of Cover Crops
Cover crops like legumes, buckwheat, or grasses are grown between main crops to protect the soil. These crops reduce erosion, improve soil fertility, and add organic biomass that boosts carbon content in soil. For hill farmers, cover crops are crucial during off-seasons when land is otherwise left bare. They prevent nutrient leaching, suppress weeds, and support soil microbial diversity, creating a healthier and more productive soil ecosystem.

7. Composting and Organic Amendments
Composting agricultural waste and applying it to soil is a simple yet effective way to increase organic carbon levels. It recycles nutrients, enhances microbial activity, and improves soil texture and fertility. In hill agriculture, where chemical input use is limited by cost and access, composting provides a sustainable, low-cost option to rejuvenate soil health [11]. Organic manures, vermicompost, and green manures improve soil buffering capacity and long-term productivity.

8. Integration of Livestock and Rotational Grazing
Carbon farming encourages controlled livestock grazing, where animals are rotated across pastures to prevent overgrazing. This promotes pasture regrowth, root development, and carbon input through manure and plant residues. In hilly terrains, integrating livestock into the farming system ensures nutrient recycling and boosts economic resilience [12]. Rotational grazing systems help manage land effectively, reduce pressure on marginal lands, and foster biodiversity and carbon storage.

9. Water Conservation and Microclimate Regulation
Water-efficient farming practices such as mulching, contour bunding, and rainwater harvesting are integral to carbon farming. They reduce runoff, enhance infiltration, and contribute to a stable soil-water-carbon cycle. Hilly areas often face erratic rainfall and poor irrigation infrastructure [13]. By maintaining soil moisture and regulating microclimates through vegetation cover, carbon farming practices contribute to more stable and productive agro-ecosystems.

10. Carbon Credit Mechanisms and Income Diversification
Verified carbon sequestration activities can generate carbon credits which farmers can trade in voluntary or compliance carbon markets. This creates an additional income stream and incentivizes adoption of sustainable practices. In hill regions, where economic opportunities are limited, carbon credit systems empower farmers by linking local conservation with global climate finance. It encourages community participation and long-term ecological stewardship [14].

11. Soil Microbial Diversity Enhancement
Carbon-rich soils support diverse microbial communities that drive essential processes like nutrient mineralization, nitrogen fixation, and disease suppression. Organic inputs feed these microbes, creating a living, self-sustaining system. In hilly soils, microbial diversity often suffers due to erosion and low fertility [15]. Carbon farming, by boosting organic inputs and minimizing disturbances, restores microbial balance and supports plant health and resilience against climatic stress.

12. Landscape Restoration and Slope Stabilization
Carbon farming contributes to landscape-level restoration by reversing degradation, stabilizing slopes, and reclaiming barren lands. Vegetative cover provided by agroforestry and cover crops binds soil and reduces landslide risks [16]. In fragile hill ecosystems, such restoration is vital for long-term sustainability. It allows multi-use of land for agriculture, forestry, and livestock, improving livelihoods while ensuring ecological integrity and climate adaptation.

13. Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Practices
Many hill communities already practice sustainable methods aligned with carbon farming, such as terracing, crop rotation, and organic mulching. Integrating these with scientific innovations enriches both traditions and modern practices. Recognizing and incorporating indigenous knowledge ensures cultural relevance, increases adoption rates, and builds trust in carbon farming strategies. This synergy helps tailor context-specific solutions that are socially acceptable and ecologically effective [17].

14. Policy Support and Institutional Frameworks
Policy interventions are essential to scale carbon farming. These include incentives for sustainable practices, training, research support, and integration into rural development schemes. In hilly regions, decentralized planning and local governance can play a major role. Capacity-building, farmer cooperatives, and financial support mechanisms help mainstream carbon farming as a viable model of rural transformation [18].

15. Monitoring, Verification, and Research Needs
Effective carbon farming requires robust monitoring systems to quantify carbon sequestration and assess environmental benefits. Remote sensing, soil testing, and participatory monitoring can support verification and transparency [19]. For hill agriculture, localized research is essential to develop region-specific models and practices. Data-driven approaches enhance credibility, guide policy, and ensure that interventions are adaptive and impactful across diverse hill landscapes.

Conclusion

Carbon farming emerges as a multifaceted solution that addresses the twin challenges of climate change mitigation and sustainable agricultural development, particularly in the context of hill agriculture. Its emphasis on enhancing soil organic carbon not only contributes to sequestering atmospheric CO₂ but also improves soil health, water retention, and fertility—critical factors for food security and environmental sustainability in fragile hilly ecosystems. The adopting nature-based practices such as agroforestry, cover cropping, compost application, and conservation tillage, carbon farming transforms agricultural land into active carbon sinks while simultaneously revitalizing degraded landscapes. The implementation of carbon farming in hilly regions offers a strategic pathway to restore ecological balance, reduce soil erosion, and build resilience against climate variability. Moreover, the integration of livestock management, indigenous knowledge, and water conservation techniques provides context-specific solutions that align with local practices and socioeconomic realities. When supported by appropriate policy frameworks, research infrastructure, and community engagement, carbon farming can foster inclusive growth, empower smallholders, and generate co-benefits like biodiversity conservation, microclimate regulation, and livelihood diversification through mechanisms such as carbon credits. To fully realize the potential of carbon farming in hill agriculture, a concerted effort is needed at multiple levels—policy, institutional, technological, and community-based. Establishing robust monitoring and verification systems, providing capacity-building and financial incentives, and promoting participatory models of development will be critical for its widespread adoption. As the world moves toward sustainable development and climate-resilient food systems, carbon farming represents not just an agricultural innovation, but a paradigm shift toward a more regenerative, equitable, and climate-smart future for hill communities and beyond.

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