Carbon Farming of Main Staple Crops: A Systematic Review of Carbon Sequestration Potential

Diego Armando Arellano Vazquez, Erica Gagliano, Adriana Del Borghi, Valeria Tacchino, Stefano Spotorno and Michela Gallo ()
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Diego Armando Arellano Vazquez: Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Pavia (IUSS), Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Erica Gagliano: Department of Civil Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via all’Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genova, Italy
Adriana Del Borghi: Department of Civil Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via all’Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genova, Italy
Valeria Tacchino: Department of Civil Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via all’Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genova, Italy
Stefano Spotorno: Istituto Universitario di Studi Superiori di Pavia (IUSS), Palazzo del Broletto, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Michela Gallo: Department of Civil Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genoa, Via all’Opera Pia 15, 16145 Genova, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-19

Abstract: Carbon farming has become increasingly popular as it integrates agriculture, forestry, and diverse land use practices, all crucial for implementing European strategies aimed at capturing 310 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These farming methods were proven to reliably increase the amount of carbon stored in the soil. However, there is a lack of discussion and consensus regarding the standards used to report these values and their implications. This article analyzes carbon sequestration rates, calculation methodologies, and communication procedures, as well as potential co-benefits and best practices. The average carbon sequestration rates in major staple crops range from very low values (0–0.5 Mg/ha/yr) to medium values (1–5 Mg/ha/yr). Scientific agricultural experiments in key global staple crops demonstrate positive rates of 4.96 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 in wheat–maize rotations and 0.52–0.69 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 in rice–wheat rotations. In agriculture, carbon sequestration rates are reported using different terms that are not consistent and pose communication challenges. This assessment involves a systematic review of the scientific literature, including articles, reviews, book chapters, and conference papers indexed in Scopus from 2001 to 2022. Specifically, this review focuses on long-term experiments, meta-analyses, and reviews that report an increase in soil carbon stock. The research trends observed, through a VOSviewer 1.6.18 analysis, show a steadily increasing interest in the field of carbon sequestration.

Keywords: carbon farming; carbon sequestration; SOC stock; maize; wheat; rice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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