The earth beneath our feet is much more than the surface we walk on: it is the foundation of our food system, and a powerful "absorbent filter" that helps our atmosphere cleanse itself of pollution.
Imagine the Earth covered in a thin "shell" of cocoa powder. As if it were a tiramisu, come on. This layer can sequester three times the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.
A precious gift
Do you know how much CO2 there is in our atmosphere today. If there's one thing we don't miss, it's that. And it seems to contribute greatly to global warming.
Storing excess carbon is a way to remove carbon pollution from the atmosphere with less cost, energy and impact. There's just one problem: "degraded" soil doesn't absorb carbon as effectively as healthy soil. And we have a lot of degraded soil, right from our agricultural practices.
What have we done to the Earth
Farming is a livelihood for many people, there is no doubt. As there is no doubt it can have a negative impact on soil health. Even preparing soil for planting carries nutrient-rich soil components into the air, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
Not to mention industrial farming practices like monoculture: growing the same things every year increases pesticide use, because it attracts more insects. Pesticides are known to control insects but they slap the soil, reducing its nutrients and ability to absorb carbon.
The solution to these problems can come from a new agriculture, a so-called "carbon" agriculture. For non-purist friends of the Italian language, carbon farming.
What is carbon farming, or carbon farming?
Carbon farming is a method of managing agricultural land with the aim of preserving the nutrients in the soil and increasing the amount of carbon it is able to store.
Carbon farming practices include composting agricultural waste, which feeds the soil, or planting "cover" crops such as grasses and legumes. These crops help prevent soil degradation by helping to protect it from weeds and pests.
The "collateral" benefits beyond the environmental ones? Increased crop yields, restoration of water resources and improvement of biodiversity, important for the survival of ecosystems. Not bad.
On the field of innovation
Scientists and farmers pursuing carbon farming experiment with various materials to add to the soil to increase its carbon sequestration properties.
Any examples? Rock dust, which indeed has been used for years: crushed rocks contain nutrients and minerals that are good for the soil. Or the basalt powder, rich in minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which makes the soil as fertile as those surrounding a volcano.
Carbon farming, can it be done on a large scale?
Some big global groups like Unilever, PepsiCo e Walmart have started adopting carbon farming practices in their supply chains. They should increase carbon sequestration over large areas, hopefully it's not just about (increasingly rampant) greenwashing.
While waiting for politics to make its moves (always late) to encourage carbon agriculture, we need to raise awareness.
Experts, popularizers, farmers and trade associations must multiply their efforts to promote carbon farming.
This and more, for our "dear" shell.
