The Government of India has taken a momentous initiative towards addressing climate change, of evolving a carbon market that prices greenhouse gas or carbon emissions.
Additionally, it has launched a Green Credit Scheme to promote and support sustainable practices, including those in agriculture. While the exact details are yet to emerge, it remains uncertain whether carbon credits from agriculture will be tradable in the Indian carbon market.
However, sustainable agricultural practices hold a central role in the Green Credit Scheme.
The idea of carbon credits from agriculture presents an ideal solution to combat climate change while enhancing farmers’ income. Carbon credits are generated when farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices, such as no till farming, balanced feed for livestock, direct seeding of rice (DSR) and balanced use of fertilizers, and integrated nutrient management, among others.
Carbon credits in agriculture have the potential to address the dual challenges of climate change mitigation and farmers’ livelihood improvement. It is important to recognise that this ongoing process requires continuous refinement and optimisation from precise measurement and accurate monitoring to efficient implementation, each step must be taken with diligence and a commitment to sustainable development.
