Carbon emissions seem to be even more dangerous for the environment, since the soil stores more carbon than the air, or even the atmosphere. Furthermore, it is much harder to reduce carbon in the soil than to reduce it in the air. In the air, it can be reduced using simple methods such as forestation. While in the soil, carbon dioxide and other GHGs need a lot more time and effort to disappear. It's worth noting that the expenses also increase.
When you hear this term, it's crucial to know it's about the usage of agricultural and land management practices to fixate carbon in the plants and the soil, so that the greenhouse gasses (GHG) can be significantly reduced from the atmosphere. To be labeled as a zero net greenhouse gasses agricultural company, you need to incorporate as many methods as possible to reduce the release of carbon dioxide in the air and with that, to reduce the GHG gasses.
Knowing this, DGB has turned its sights towards improving the health of the soil, works on various innovative fertilization processes of the soil, and more. All these things are done with several projects that we carefully choose to go with.
Soil organic carbon is actually the carbon stored in the soil as a part of the soil matter, as well as plant and animal matter. There are various stages of carbon in the soil. It means that the carbon does some processes in the soil, as it can prove to be dangerous to the environment. However, there are some positive sides of the story, meaning the carbon stored in the soil can indicate plant growth, with which produce growth is indicated too. Most importantly, there is a reverse process as well. The growth of a plant indicates organic carbon in the soil. Both the soil and the plants can benefit from it being carbon-rich.
Some companies in the agriculture industry work towards increasing the soil in carbon, from which they can benefit by selling it and making profits. It's important to increase the use of products that grow in carbon-rich soil, balancing it with the use of organic soil for other products.
Some businesses belonging to a single individual can be neutral on the carbon, so they can make profits by trading carbon credits to other businesses. Some landowners look forward to carbon, as it can significantly improve the overall production and income. The comparisons made before and after using carbon in the soil have shown amazing results in the agriculture industry so far.
Industry professionals have recently coined the term “carbon farming “, which, in short, refers to the processes used to store carbon in the vegetation or soil. By doing this, the greenhouse emissions in the atmosphere are greatly reduced. These practices have made many businesses transform from net carbon emitters to sinks that fixate carbon.
There are two main ways for carbon dioxide, or any other GHG gasses to be reduced in the atmosphere. The first one is by using plants. Their management is called a sequestration process, in which the carbon is stored inside the vegetation or the plants.
The second one is by directly paying attention to the amount of greenhouse gas releasement and finding ways to reduce it. These gasses are dangerous both for the agricultural industry and the environment. This process is called an 'avoidance project' or gas emission reduction process.
There are some special carbon farming instances, such as increased use of fertilizers, using greater amounts of carbon in the soil and storing the carbon in the vegetation for an increase in efficiency, emissions from livestock, and more.
Carbon farming has its sights on storing the carbon not only in the soil but in the trees too. It means that they are avoiding, everywhere possible, the releasement of carbon unused and with that being harmful.
Carbon credits can be also generated by carbon farming, even though it requires specific processes to begin doing so.
There are many creative ways that soil organic carbon can be implemented within. The opportunities are endless. By conducting your own research, you can discover new uses for soil organic carbon, depending on the costs, effects, ecological reasons, among other factors.
Here are some of them:
All the above-mentioned methods are just a piece of advice you can incorporate into your system. It is crucial some research be done previously, for better knowledge and better production. At DGB, our professionals can easily provide you with all the help you need.
