A Carbon Policy For The Farm

Context: India needs ‘Carbon Policy’ to reduce agricultural emission in India.

Carbon emissions and darkening skies

• “Code red” to humanity: The Assessment Report of IPCC Working Group – 1 has literally issued a “code red” to humanity as we rush towards a 1.5-degree Celsius hotter planet by 2040.
• Burden of pollution in India: 22 of 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India.
  • As per World Air Quality Report, 2020, India has most polluted cities in the world, out of which, Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital, which raising a major concern.
• Rising greenhouse gas emissions: According to Global Carbon Atlas, India ranks third in total greenhouse gas emissions by emitting annually around 2.6 billion tonnes (Bt) CO2eq, preceded by China and US.
  • India’s per capita emissions is just 1.8 tonnes, significantly lower than the world average of 4.4 tonnes per capita, but it is incapable to drive global policies to its advantage.
• Risk of extreme climate events: India stands 6^th on the list of most affected countries due to extreme weather events, which is a worrying situation.
• Agricultural emissions – A concern: Total agricultural emission in India has gradually declined from 28% in 1994 to 14% in 2016.
  • But, in absolute term, it increased to about 650 Mt CO2 in 2018, which is similar to China’s agricultural emission.
  • Major contributors: India’s largest livestock population (537 million), rice cultivation on around 44 million hectares emitting methane etc.
  • 70% of granular fertilisers that are thrown over plants are polluting the environment and leaching into the groundwater, while polluting the same.

Way forward: A carbon policy for agriculture

• Incentivise farmers through carbon credits which should be globally tradable.
• Better feeding practices: India needs better feeding practices with smaller numbers of cattle by raising their productivity.
• Develop alternative to traditional rice cultivation: Wet and dry practices to reduce carbon footprint in rice fields.
  • Long term solution: Switching areas from rice to maize or other less water-guzzling crops.
• Opening up corn for ethanol can help reduce huge dependence on crude oil imports and reduce carbon footprint.
• Develop global carbon markets: Policy clarity on how it would adjust carbon credits when it sells to polluting industries abroad so that emission reductions are not double counted in India and the country buying carbon credits.
• Promote fertigation and subsidise soluble fertilisers for better and efficient fertiliser use.
  • Government should incentivise and give subsidies on drips for fertigation, switching away from rice to corn or less water-intensive crops, and promoting soluble fertilisers at the same rate of subsidy as granular urea.