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Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com
March, 2022│Volume: 3, Issue: 03│Page 39
Shaon Kumar Das1, E. K. Bhujel2, Ramgopal Laha3 and Vinay Kumar Mishra4
1Scientist, ICAR RC for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Gangtok-737102, Sikkim; 2Junior Research Fellow, ICAR RC for NEH Region,
Sikkim Centre, Gangtok-737102, Sikkim; 3Joint Director, ICAR RC for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Gangtok-737102, Sikkim; 4Director,
ICAR RC for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya-793103
Article History
ABSTRACT
Received:
4th February 2022
Accepted:
25th February 2022
shaon.iari@gmail.com
Carbon neutrality is described in four groups, including "carbon neutral", "climate neutral", "carbon-
free", and "carbon clean" which means not to release any carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
According to the European Parliament, carbon neutrality is reached when the same amount of CO2
is released into the atmosphere as is removed by various means, leaving a zero balance, also known
as a zero-carbon footprint. Whereas carbon footprint is defined as the total amount of GHG
emissions caused by an individual, organization, service, or product. It also means recognizing the
problem and gradually reducing its impact. We are only considering CO2 and carbon-neutral, but
there are several other greenhouse gases, which are even more damaging which are methane (CH4)
and Nitrous oxide (N2O) produced by agriculture. Many initiatives (carbon neutrality coalition,
greenwise, climate neutral network, caring for climate, greenlife) seek to assist individuals,
businesses and states in reducing their carbon footprint or achieving climate neutrality.
Keywords: Carbon neutrality, climate change, carbon footprint, carbon sequestration
Currently, climate change is having an impact
throughout the world, causing extreme weather events like
droughts, heat waves, heavy rainfall, flooding, and
landslides. As a result of rapid climate change, sea levels
are rising, oceans are becoming acidic, and biodiversity is
declining. The global CO2 emissions declined by 5.8 % in
2020 (2 Gt.), the largest ever decline and 5 times greater
than that of 2009 caused by pandemic, where energy
demand decreased. Even with the decline in CO2
emissions in 2020, global energy-related emissions
remained at 31.5 Gt., causing CO2 to reach its highest
concentration in the atmosphere at 412.5 ppm - around
50% higher than it was when the industrial revolution
began (International Energy Agency, 2021). As of 2021,
three countries Bhutan, Suriname, and Panama have
achieved carbon neutrality whereas in 2019 India ranked
fourth in terms of the highest global carbon dioxide
emission with 2,597 Mt and 1.9 tonnes per capita. An
initiative to achieve carbon neutrality in India was
launched in June 2016 in the Kerala village Meenangadi,
which will be the first village in the country to achieve
such a goal. A dynamic balance between the rate of
emissions and the rate of carbon sequestration is needed
to stabilize the earth's atmospheric CO2 concentration
levels to move towards net-zero carbon emissions. This
implies that the rate of anthropogenic emissions needs to
be controlled and managed so that it does not exceed the
rate of sequestration. Three countries have achieved or
surpassed carbon neutrality: Bhutan (carbon-negative);
Suriname (carbon negative since 2014, at least);
Panama probably carbon negative as on 2021,
certification expected to arrive. The 3 countries formed a
small coalition at the 2021 United Nations Climate
Change Conference and asked for help so that other
countries will join it.
Carbon neutral
Carbon neutrality means having a balance
between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the
atmosphere in carbon sinks. This can be achieved by
balancing emissions of carbon dioxide with its removal
(often through carbon offsetting) or by eliminating
emissions from society (the transition to the "post-carbon
economy"). In order to achieve net zero emissions, all
worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have to
be counterbalanced by carbon sequestration. The main
natural carbon sinks are soil, forests and oceans. Carbon
neutrality delivers climate action now and prepares our
business for a low carbon transformation. Although the
term "carbon neutral" is used, a carbon footprint also
includes other greenhouse gases, measured in terms of
their carbon dioxide equivalence. Carbon-neutral status
can be achieved in two ways like carbon off-setting and
reducing emissions, although a combination of the two is
most likely required. Climate change is affecting both
agriculture and the environment. As a leader in
agriculture, we are committed to providing technologies,
services and training to help farming become carbon
neutral as well as reducing the climate footprint of our
operations in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Carbon neutrality: benefits and importance
under changing climate
Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com
March, 2022│Volume: 3, Issue: 03│Page 40
Advantages of Carbon Neutrality
To avoid the worst consequences of climate change,
communities and society as a whole must become carbon
neutral.
1. A reduction in environmental pollution and
improvements in health.
2. The creation of green jobs and increased economic
growth.
3. A decrease in climate change and better food security.
4. A reduction in biodiversity as well as an improvement
in the condition of the oceans.
Carbon sequestration by agriculture and its
importance
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing
CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it in the ocean,
geologic basalt, vegetation, and soil for a set period. Soil
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing CO2 from
the atmosphere into the soil through crop residue and
other organic solids for a longer period and in a form that
cannot be immediately re-emitted. In India, agriculture
contributes 18% to the total emissions of greenhouse
gases (INCCA, 2010). In Indian agriculture, livestock and
rice production are the top emitters of GHGs. Rice
produced 5.65 kg CO2 eq kilograms, mutton meat
produced 45.54 kg CO2 eq kilograms, and milk produced
2.4 kg CO2 eq kilograms. Agriculture not only emits
greenhouse gases but also alters the amount of carbon
stored in the soil, which releases or absorbs carbon
dioxide. Carbon sequestration is beneficial to the
environment and helps in improving soil quality. When
CO2 is taken up by plants and stored in the soil, the
physical properties of the soil increase. This leads to a
higher crop yield and better economic benefits for
farmers.
Reducing carbon footprint
1. Adopting responsible, sustainable, and circular
consumption practices, such as avoiding disposable
products and recycling.
2. Switch to renewable energy by installing solar panels
on your apartment building or home
3. Educate others on the importance of reducing our
carbon footprint.
4. Reduce food waste, eat less meat, and choose local,
sustainable production methods.
5. Make your home more energy efficient by buying low-
energy appliances and avoiding unnecessary energy
waste.
6. Choose sustainable modes of transportation, such as
public transport, bicycles, or walking, and purchase
eco-friendly vehicles.
Empowering farmers to store carbon in their land and
restore soil health
Improve management practices for fertilizers and
manures
Proper fertilization and manure application are
highly necessary for maintaining the SOC level in the soil.
A study in the Tai-Lake region of China found that
increased N fertilizer application led to increased
emission of greenhouse gases (particularly N2O) and
leaching of nitrogen from the surface soil. Significant
losses of N under rice cultivation. Thus, proper selection
and application rates of N fertilizer are key to
sequestering C and combating overall GHG and climate
change. FYM and FYM NPK treatments led to better
results for SOC stock building, when compared with
solely NPK application. In the case of FYM NPK, the C:
N ratio is lowered, thereby lowering microbial
proliferation and ultimately reducing microbial
decomposition of C. Twenty-six years of cultivation
without NPK fertilizer and manure decreased total organic
carbon (TOC) by about 8.8%, while under adequate
fertilization and manuring, TOC grew by 31.3%.
Reduce or Eliminate Tillage
During cultivation, soil organic carbon is lost
mainly from the surface layer, which is due to increased
soil aeration and temperature, which facilitates oxidation
and microbial activity, which in turn exposes soil to
microbial decomposition. It was found that shifting from
reduced to no-tillage increased C sequestration by 93 to
147 kg C ha-1 yr-1 in paddy soils (0-30 cm layer). There
was an increase of 0.21 g C kg soil-1 yr-1 for dry
croplands. It was found that no-till had a 48 and 52%
lower global warming potential than moldboard till and
chisel till, respectively.
Employ organic farming and other more climate-
friendly farming systems
Among organic farming's essential advantages is
the retention of SOC, commonly found on cropland
because organic farming uses more C than conventional
farming. The conversion of conventional to organic
farming can increase SOC content by about 2.2%. The
conventional system depleted soil C content by 15% over
21 years in Switzerland, while biodynamic systems with
high livestock densities gave soil C content a significant
Food and Scientific Reports
ISSN 2582-5437 foodandscientificreports.com
March, 2022│Volume: 3, Issue: 03│Page 41
boost. The application of manures results in a transfer of
organic matter from one site to another, rather than the C
moving from the air to the soil. Hence, maintaining both
soil C content and productivity is dependent on strategies
with balanced organic inputs.
Residue management and mulching
Strategic residue management and mulching is
another useful option for carbon sequestration in soil. The
highest soil organic carbon stocks were observed in soils
in Punjab under an eleven-year rice-wheat system when
farmyard manure (FYM) was applied alongside rice straw
(RS). The lowest soil organic carbon stocks were
observed with no organic amendment. For maize-wheat
and rice-wheat cropping systems in the Indo-Gangetic
Plain, CA (especially ZT) with residue could be
recommended due to its higher SOC sequestration
potential. Mulching with straw produced about a 33%
increase in SOC in the long-term experiment.
Bioenergy crops
A plant whose biomass is higher, its energy
potential is high, and it is grown specifically for bioenergy
production, especially in marginal soils, can be considered
a bioenergy plant which can be grouped into two first-
generation bioenergy food crops, such as wheat, corn,
sugarcane, sugar beet, etc., and second-generation biofuel
crops such as perennial grasses like miscanthus
(Miscanthus giganteus), switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
and other dedicated biofuel producing plants (e.g.
Jatropha curcas, Andropogon gerardii, Pennisetum
purpureum, Salix herbacea, etc.). The effect of land-use
change to second-generation bioenergy crops on CO2
sequestration was studied and found that the conversion of
arable lands to perennial grasses increased SOC by
25.7%, whereas grassland to perennial grasses and forests
to short rotation coppice (poplar/willow) led to a decrease
in SOC. Thus, along with the restoration of degraded
lands, the cultivation of bioenergy plants could improve
the livelihood of rural people and at the same time
maintain atmospheric CO2 and GHG levels.
Conclusion
To achieve zero net emissions, sources of
emissions must be reduced and sinks must be improved.
As a result of various interventions such as watershed
development programme, sustainable agricultural
practices, etc., biomass and soil carbon are enhanced
while renewable energy sources are deployed to meet
energy needs and reduce emissions. The use of
environmentally friendly agricultural practices lowers
GHGs emissions from farming. Furthermore, agriculture
is the only major sector in the economy that has the
capability of not only reducing GHGs emissions but also
sequestering carbon in the soil. Indian agriculture can
become carbon-neutral by reducing emissions and
increasing soil carbon sequestration. These practices will
make agricultural operations more resilient to the effects
of climate change on weather patterns. Several of these
practices are also cost-effective, especially over time.
References
Chen H, Hou R, Gong Y, Li H, Fan M, Kuzyakov Y.
(2009). Effects of 11 years of conservation tillage
on soil organic matter fractions in wheat
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Das SK. (2020). Carbon Sequestration and Climate
Change. Food and Scientific Reports 1 (1): 23-29.
Das SK, Ghosh GK, Avasthe RK. (2020). Applications of
biomass derived biochar in modern science and
technology. Environmental Technology and
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2020.101306.
Das SK, Ghosh GK, Avasthe RK. (2017). Biochar
amendments on physico-chemical and biological
properties of soils. Agrica 6 (2):79-87.
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