Climate change

Extreme weather impacts, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves, combined with threats such as soil degradation, are currently affecting farmers and crops worldwide. The agricultural sector, and thereby global food security, is directly threatened by climate change. Agribusiness plays a crucial role in climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. With a particular focus on land management, one of the greatest benefits of organic carbon cultivation is soil health. It impacts crop quality, leading to increased income and reduced costs. Beyond the advantages to farms, it is estimated that global agricultural land can absorb substantial carbon dioxide through soil-protecting techniques and improved carbon sequestration. The potential of carbon farming offers a method to decrease global emissions with direct benefits to land and farm productivity.

What is carbon farming?

- Production of high-quality food and feed
- Proper management of soil organic matter
- Improvement of soil structure (especially pH) and increase in yield potential
- Protection of soil, water, and air against agricultural contamination
- Reduction of material inputs (plant protection products, mineral fertilizers), energy savings.

Agricultural practices in regenerative agriculture:

- No-plough cultivation
- After crop cultivation
- Green manure crop cultivation
- Increased biodiversity of cultivated plants; more species in crop rotation
- Enhanced water retention in the soil
- Integration of crop and animal production
- Utilization of natural fertilizers
- Reducing the use of fertilizers, minimizing plant protection products, and ensuring balanced fertilization.

Farmers who adopt carbon farming practices that enhance soil organic CO2 content and reduce emissions, supported by verified data, can generate carbon credits through participation in a certified carbon program. To obtain carbon credits, the entire farming lifecycle aimed at offsetting carbon emissions must include auditing, testing, and monitoring soil carbon levels, as well as implementing agricultural practices that improve soil health. Verified carbon credits can then be sold to organizations or individuals seeking to reduce their emissions through carbon offsets.

1C Calcium:

- A balanced approach to the impact of calcium on soil structure entails consciously managing the level of calcium in the soil
- Calcium plays a crucial role in soil structure, influencing its permeability, water retention, and the availability of nutrients for plants
- Regenerative agriculture promotes sustainable methods of calcium fertilization that provide optimal levels of this element without its overuse, which can lead to environmental pollution.

- The widespread use of cover crops involves cultivating a transitional crop that protects the soil between main crops
- Cover crops offer numerous benefits, such as preventing soil erosion, retaining water, inhibiting weed growth, providing sustenance for soil microorganisms, and increasing soil organic matter
- Cover crops are essential to regenerative agriculture as they help rebuild and maintain healthy soil structure and balance agro-ecosystems.

3C Carbon:

- Increasing soil organic matter and carbon is a key objective of regenerative agriculture
- Soil organic matter, which is primarily carbon, is crucial for soil health, water retention, nutrient availability, and the soil's ability to sequester carbon from the atmosphere
- Through practices such as composting, using cover crops, and minimizing tillage, regenerative agriculture aims to enhance soil organic matter and carbon, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving soil quality.

- The principle of "tilling as little as possible, as much as necessary" refers to minimizing disturbance to soil structure by limiting the intensity of tillage
- Too frequent and intensive tillage can lead to degradation of soil structure, increased erosion, and loss of organic matter
- Regenerative agriculture promotes minimal tillage techniques such as no-plough and ultra-shallow tillage, direct seeding, and the use of after crops to reduce disturbance to soil structure and increase soil health.

5C Culture:

- Working towards biodiversity without disturbing or drying out the soil is an approach based on respecting natural ecosystem processes
- Instead of employing agricultural practices that destroy biodiversity and degrade the soil, regenerative agriculture focuses on methods that support biodiversity and maintain a healthy balance of ecosystems
- These activities promote soil life by eliminating tillage and reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides.
In summary, regenerative agriculture, according to the 5Cs, is a comprehensive approach that considers the balance between different aspects of agricultural production, such as soil health, ecosystem sustainability, biodiversity protection, and minimizing disruption to land structure and functioning.