Soil carbon management for sustainable food system

Abstract

The importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) in food, nutrition and climate security is undeniable. Increasing SOC stocks helps in mitigating the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration; besides improving the soil quality attributes such as stability of aggregates, soil fertility, and nutrient cycling etc. Use of manure, judicious fertilizer application, reduce/no tillage, utilization of crop residues, integrated nutrient management, application of biochar, use of cover crops, switch from single cropping to intercropping, introducing pulse crops in cropping systems, eliminating summer fallow periods are more or less effective for increasing C sequestration. Several government policies and programmes are being initiated to promote soil health and achieving
sustainable development goals (SDGs), G20 commitments, land degradation neutrality, net zero emission and sustainable food systems.