Rs 2.5 cr as carbon credits: In a first, farmers reap harvest of good practices, Pg22

Key Highlights:

• For the first time in India, approximately 2,500 farmers from Punjab and Haryana received carbon credit payments for adopting improved agricultural practices.
• These farmers earned a total of around Rs 2.50 crore, with individual payments ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000.
• Over 50,000 carbon credits were generated through practices such as stopping paddy residue burning and using Direct Seeded Rice.
• The initiative was launched by agro-tech firm Grow Indigo in 2019, with technical guidance from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

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Detailed Insights:

• The program aims to provide economic value to farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve soil and water.
• An MoU exists between ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI), Ludhiana, and Grow Indigo for technical collaboration and farmer support.
• Payments are based on verified carbon credits attributed to individual farmers for their changed practices, rather than being linked to acreage.
• Adopted practices include reduced or zero tillage, better residue management, and more efficient fertilizer use, particularly relevant in the rice-wheat cropping system.
• Monitoring of these practices involves advanced technologies like satellite and remote-sensing systems, geo-fencing, and soil sampling to assess changes in soil organic carbon.
• The recent BRICS Summit in New Delhi adopted a declaration for establishing a BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture and a BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture.
• Punjab also has a pre-existing carbon credit scheme, launched in August 2024, which pays farmers for engaging in agroforestry by raising and maintaining trees on agricultural land.
• This program is designed as a continuing process, encouraging sustained adoption of climate-smart practices rather than offering one-time payments.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Carbon Credits: Tradable permits allowing the holder to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, earned by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Direct Seeded Rice (DSR): A method of rice cultivation where seeds are directly sown into the field, reducing water and labor requirements compared to transplanting.
• Zero Tillage: An agricultural practice where crops are grown without disturbing the soil through plowing, helping retain soil moisture and organic matter.
• Agroecology: An approach to farming that applies ecological principles to agricultural systems, focusing on sustainability, biodiversity, and local food systems.