What if farmers could make their practices more environmentally friendly, improve their plants, and continue to generate income at the same time? Such an idea has grown into more than just a thought in the U.S. The concept is called carbon sequestration, or “carbon farming.”
In simple terms, farmers capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide in their plants. The concept could prove important in the fight against global warming. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the agriculture sector accounts for 10 percent of greenhouse gas emissions across the U.S.
Such gases trap heat, resulting in higher temperatures in the atmosphere, and contribute to global warming. President Joe Biden hopes to reward farmers monetarily for using climate-friendly practices on their lands.
John-Walt Boatright, Director of National Affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau, said that he and others in the agriculture field have discussed carbon sequestration for about 20 years. And now, “the stars are aligning” to make such practices widespread, he said.
Specifically, Boatright noted that the Biden administration is determined to develop a climate policy. And those in the agriculture industry are equally determined to make carbon sequestration a widespread practice.
The process of implementing carbon sequestration strategies can prove challenging. It depends on factors such as a farm’s location, equipment, and finances.
For instance, planting cover crops, or those that cover soil is one technique. Among other things, the practice helps fight erosion, builds organic matter, and improves fertility.
Farms in some regions of the U.S. have been planting cover crops for decades. But growing seasons in other regions are too short to consider cover crops.
Some farmers have been using a technique called “no-till” for years with great results. It’s a process of farming without tilling the soil, helping to reduce the amount of soil disruption that would otherwise release carbon dioxide into the air.
But it’s not a technique that works everywhere, and it depends on the soil and other factors.
University of Florida soil scientist Jehangir Bhadha agrees that not all carbon sequestration techniques work equally well.
“We have to be very cautious in making these broad overarching statements because in some cases, certain practices may work, and you may yield profits from it — not just financial but even environmental benefits,” Bhadha told WUSF Public Media.
Boatright said that while conversations about carbon sequestration have been happening for years, “we’re still early in this process.”
Biden wants to use $30 billion in farm aid money from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Credit Corporation to pay growers for implementing sustainable practices.
And at least one agriculture official supports Biden’s proposal — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried.
“It’s going to be millions upon millions of dollars,” Fried told WJCT Public Media.
Fried told the media outlet that tariffs, adverse weather, and the pandemic have hit Florida farmers hard. She believes that Biden’s incentive can help.
In fact, Fried submitted a proposal to the White House. In it, she told Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris that “with 9.7 million acres of farmland, Florida is an ideal state for potential pilot programs.”
Among other things, Fried’s document suggests a public-private partnership “to identify federal and state-owned lands on which potential properties not actively being managed can implement a tree planting and cover crop program for carbon sequestration.”
“While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated that the agriculture sector accounts for 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, regenerative agriculture can help sequester carbon from the atmosphere at levels that will have a real impact on the climate crisis,” Fried wrote.
Broward County Farm Bureau President Fred Segal said that carbon sequestration “definitely has potential down the road.”
Such practices could not only help environmentally but also assist agriculture in becoming self-sustaining while continuing to provide a safe, economical food supply for the public, Segal said. He added that carbon farming could help small farmers remain in business by providing them with an additional revenue source.
Just outside Tallahassee, David “Kip” Ritchey, 31, and Angelique Taylor, 27, operate a one-acre farm. WJCT Public Media reported that the young couple uses alternatives to tilling. In addition, they plant cover crops off-season to keep nutrients in the ground. They also use hay as a natural water and nutrient reservoir, and they experiment with organic fertilizers to reduce their carbon footprint. The Florida couple isn’t receiving monetary compensation for their efforts.
But in the Midwest, large agricultural companies are paying growers to plant crops that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use techniques to keep carbon in the soil.
With Biden’s plan to reward farmers monetarily for using climate-friendly practices on their lands, it could be just a matter of time before Florida growers also receive monetary compensation.
Boatright said that carbon sequestration is a complex topic but “I think will be valuable to the American farmer and also to the American citizen.”