Soil Carbon Storage vs Sustainable Conservation Agriculture Practices: New Research Urges Change in Incentivizing Farmers

Strategic Insights -

Research published in the Journal of Environmental Quality suggests that current practices for incentivizing farmers to adopt conservation agriculture may not be effective in mitigating climate change. The study found that practices such as no-tillage, cover crops, and diversification of crop rotation are thought to be capable of addressing climate change challenges while ensuring food security. However, the researchers propose that paying farmers to "do the right thing" instead of paying them based on soil carbon accrual could lead to much higher adoption rates of sustainable conservation agricultural practices.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that reduced soil disturbance, retention of crop residues, planting cover crops, or diversification of crop rotations with perennials are indeed effective in improving soil properties that enhance climate change adaptation, but not so much climate change mitigation.
  • The current programs that pay for carbon stored in soil may not be sufficient to incentivize farmers to change their operations due to the high cost to test soil C to validate their efforts.
  • The researchers propose paying farmers to "do the right thing" which includes continuous no- or minimum-soil disturbance, permanent biomass soil cover, biodiversity in crop rotations, and applying or practicing these three principles on a continuous year-after-year basis.
  • This approach is expected to lead to much higher adoption rates of sustainable conservation agricultural practices by farmers.
  • Improved crop production and soil and environmental quality are expected as a result of adopting sustainable conservation agricultural practices.

Statistics:

  • Only 4.7% of cropland in the United States currently practices planting of cover crops, considered to be one example that represents conservation agriculture.
  • The high cost to test soil C to validate efforts is a barrier to incentivizing farmers to change their operations.
  • The literature indicates that continuous no- or minimum-soil disturbance, permanent biomass soil cover, biodiversity in crop rotations, and applying or practicing these three principles on a continuous year-after-year basis should be the focus of incentivizing farmers.

Sources:

  • Journal of Environmental Quality, "Soil carbon storage or sustainable conservation agriculture practices-Which should be our goal?"
  • Journal of Environmental Quality can be contacted at: Wiley, 111 River St, Hoboken 07030-5774, NJ, USA.
  • Colorado State University, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States.