Carbon Farming It’s Emerging Role in Soil Health and Climate Mitigation with Special Reference to Hill Agriculture

Carbon farming, an innovative agroecological approach, is gaining prominence for its dual potential in enhancing soil health and mitigating climate change, particularly in fragile hill agriculture systems. By integrating practices such as cover cropping, agroforestry, organic amendments, reduced tillage, and conservation agriculture, carbon farming helps sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide into soils and biomass, thereby improving soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks—an essential component of fertile, resilient soils. In hilly terrains, where land degradation, soil erosion, and nutrient depletion are exacerbated by steep slopes and erratic weather patterns, carbon farming offers sustainable solutions to restore ecological balance. These practices not only stabilize soils and reduce erosion but also enhance microbial diversity, water retention capacity, and nutrient cycling, leading to improved productivity and reduced reliance on synthetic inputs. Moreover, the carbon credits generated through verified carbon sequestration efforts create new income streams for smallholder hill farmers, linking local sustainability with global carbon markets. In the context of climate change, carbon farming transforms agriculture from a net emitter to a potential carbon sink, aligning hill farming with global climate mitigation goals while ensuring food security, ecological restoration, and rural livelihoods.