Carbon sequestration in agriculture involves capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2) in soil and plant systems. According to a new study by IIASA researchers published in 'Nature Food', these practices hold significant potential for mitigating climate change while also reducing the overall costs of emission reduction efforts across various sectors.
"We set out to assess novel carbon sequestration options on agricultural land and their dynamics in an economic model. To date, these options were only assessed in bottom-up engineering studies and hence not considered in Integrated Assessment Model-based climate stabilization pathways that underpin the forward-looking chapters of the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)," said lead author Stefan Frank, a senior researcher in the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program. "Given the interlinkages across mitigation options, economic sectors, and world regions, integrated economic assessments like ours can provide valuable insights on the system-wide effects of these options."
Farmers can help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere by adopting techniques such as planting cover crops, using biochar (a form of charcoal derived from organic waste), or practicing agroforestry by planting trees alongside crops or pastures. These methods transform agricultural land into a carbon sink.
The study's findings show that by 2050, agricultural carbon sequestration could cut as many emissions as reforestation efforts, particularly in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South America. In addition to its climate benefits, these practices can enhance agricultural productivity and resilience, potentially helping the agriculture, forestry, and land use sectors reach net-zero emissions globally by mid-century. The cost of this mitigation effort is estimated to range from $80 to $120 per ton of CO2 equivalent.
"These efforts would not only cut overall economy-wide emission reduction costs when compared to a 1.5 C scenario without agricultural carbon sequestration practices, but also reduce losses of global economic output by 0.6% by mid-century under a climate stabilization scenario aiming to limit warming to 1.5 C," added study coauthor Andrey Lessa Derci Augustynczik, a researcher in the same IIASA program. He further explained that farmers could benefit financially, with potential earnings of up to $235 billion by 2050 if incentives are provided for every additional ton of CO2 stored in soils and biomass, based on a projected price of $160 per ton of CO2 equivalent by 2050.
However, the study emphasizes that these efforts require strong institutions and effective global monitoring systems to ensure proper implementation and fair compensation for farmers.
"Despite the large mitigation potential at rather low cost, agricultural carbon sequestration potentials are mainly located in the Global South, which warrants caution as several structural, institutional, or social barriers exist. To unlock these potentials and provide meaningful contributions to ambitious climate stabilization efforts, highly efficient institutions and monitoring systems must be deployed in the short term, and the necessary policy incentives need to be put in place fast," Frank concluded.
Research Report:Enhancing Agricultural Carbon Sinks Provides Benefits for Farmers and Climate
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