Carbon Farming: A Climate Solution Under Our Feet - NHK WORLD PRIME
NHK WORLD-JAPAN・2 minutes read
Soil is a crucial solution to combat the climate crisis by storing carbon and implementing regenerative agriculture practices. Carbon farming, advocated by pioneers like Gabe Brown and Yoshida, focuses on enhancing soil health, promoting plant growth, and offsetting CO2 emissions through sustainable farming practices.
Insights
- Soil contains more carbon than the Earth's atmosphere, with human activities releasing significant amounts into the air, emphasizing the importance of regenerative agriculture to reverse this trend.
- Regenerative agriculture practices, such as those demonstrated by Bright Kreutzes and Gabe Brown, focus on returning carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil through principles like minimal soil disturbance, crop diversity, and integrating animals, showcasing a promising solution to combat the climate crisis.
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Recent questions
How does regenerative agriculture combat the climate crisis?
Regenerative agriculture, also known as carbon farming, aims to sequester carbon from the atmosphere back into the soil. By implementing practices like minimal soil disturbance, maintaining living roots, and integrating animals into farming, regenerative agriculture helps increase soil carbon levels. This process not only enhances soil health but also reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making it a scalable and effective solution to address the climate crisis.
What are the benefits of plants absorbing CO2 through photosynthesis?
When plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, they secrete carbon compounds that benefit soil microorganisms. These compounds help improve soil health by promoting the growth of beneficial microorganisms that contribute to nutrient cycling and plant growth. This process not only enhances soil fertility but also aids in carbon sequestration, making it a crucial aspect of regenerative agriculture practices.
How does biochar contribute to improving soil quality?
Biochar, a substance made from burning biomass like wood, is used to improve soil quality by enhancing its structure and nutrient-holding capacity. By adding biochar to the soil, farmers can increase its fertility, water retention, and microbial activity. Additionally, biochar helps store carbon in the soil, contributing to efforts like the four per thousand initiative to offset carbon emissions. Overall, biochar plays a vital role in promoting soil health and sustainability in agriculture.
What is the significance of diversity in crops in regenerative agriculture?
Diversity in crops is a key principle in regenerative agriculture as it helps improve soil health and resilience. By planting a variety of crops, farmers can enhance biodiversity in the soil, which supports beneficial microorganisms and nutrient cycling. Different crops have varying root structures and nutrient requirements, which can help prevent soil depletion and promote overall soil health. Therefore, incorporating diversity in crops is essential for sustainable farming practices and soil regeneration.
How does regenerative agriculture promote water-holding capacity in soil?
Regenerative agriculture practices, such as minimal soil disturbance and soil covering, help improve the water-holding capacity of soil. By reducing soil compaction and erosion, these practices allow the soil to absorb and retain more water, making it more resilient to drought and extreme weather conditions. Demonstrations like the one by Ray Archuleta showcase how regenerative farming benefits soil health by enhancing its ability to hold water, which is crucial for sustainable agriculture and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Related videos
TED
The Hidden Wonders of Soil | Jane Zelikova | TED
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Let's talk about soil
Our Changing Climate
Why Soil Matters
Conservation International
Nature Is Speaking – Edward Norton is The Soil | Conservation International (CI)
DW Documentary
New forests for greater climate protection? | DW Documentary
Summary
00:00
"Carbon Farming: Soil Solution for Climate Crisis"
- Soil is a scalable, affordable, and effective solution to address the climate crisis.
- Earth's atmosphere contains 750 billion tons of carbon, while the soil holds 1500 billion tons.
- Human activities have released 500 billion tons of carbon from the soil into the atmosphere.
- Regenerative agriculture, or carbon farming, aims to put carbon from the air back into the soil.
- The Bright Kreutzes practice regenerative agriculture in Minnesota, focusing on soil regeneration.
- Ray Archuleta demonstrates the water-holding capacity of different soils, highlighting regenerative farming benefits.
- Plants absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, secreting carbon compounds that benefit soil microorganisms.
- Gabe Brown, a regenerative agriculture pioneer, emphasizes principles like minimal soil disturbance and soil covering.
- Brown's principles include diversity in crops, maintaining living roots, and integrating animals into farming.
- Carbon farming is gaining global momentum as a viable option to offset CO2 emissions and address the climate crisis.
25:49
"Yoshida: Organic Farming Innovator Enhancing Soil Health"
- Yoshida, a former government advisor turned farmer, questions conventional farming and promotes organic methods.
- Yoshida focuses on growing microorganisms in soil using weeds, particularly filamentous fungi, to enhance plant growth.
- Yoshida places 5 kilograms of weeds per square meter of soil to encourage the growth of filamentous fungi.
- Filamentous fungi develop hyphae that aid in nutrient exchange between plants and soil, promoting plant growth and resilience.
- Biochar, made from burning biomass like wood, is used to improve soil quality and store carbon, contributing to the four per thousand initiative to offset carbon emissions.
