Context
India has initiated its first soil-carbon payments, with over 2,500 farmers in Punjab and Haryana receiving payments for adopting regenerative agricultural practices. Under the Aadi farmer carbon programme, verified reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions and increases in soil carbon are converted into carbon credits, providing farmers additional income.
Explanation
- Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the carbon component found within soil organic matter, originating from decomposing plant and animal residues, roots, and microorganisms. It typically makes up about 50% to 58% of total soil organic matter by mass and serves as a primary indicator of soil health, fertility, and structure.
- Regenerative agriculture aims to restore soil health while maintaining productivity through practices such as reduced tillage, residue retention, crop diversification and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR).
- Soil acts as a carbon sink by storing atmospheric carbon in soil organic carbon (SOC) through plant residues and roots.
- A carbon credit generally represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) reduced, avoided or removed.
- The Aadi programme, launched by Grow Indigo in 2019 with technical guidance from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), covers participating farmers across multiple States.
- It is a project where farmers earn money by reducing pollution and improving soil organic carbon, and their results are strictly checked and certified so they can sell carbon credits.
- Such practices can provide co-benefits including water conservation, reduced stubble burning, lower PM2.5 emissions, improved soil health and climate resilience.
La Excellence IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching in Hyderabad, known for delivering quality content and conceptual clarity for UPSC 2026 preparation.
FOLLOW US ON:
◉ YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@CivilsPrepTeam
◉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaExcellenceIAS
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laexcellenceiasacademy/
GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us at info@laex.in, https://laex.in/contact-us/
or Call us @ +91 9052 29 2929, +91 9052 99 2929, +91 9154 24 2140
OUR BRANCHES:
Head Office: H No: 1-10-225A, Beside AEVA Fertility Center, Ashok Nagar Extension, VV Giri Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, 500020
Madhapur: Flat no: 301, survey no 58-60, Guttala begumpet Madhapur metro pillar: 1524, Rangareddy Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Bangalore: Plot No: 99, 2nd floor, 80 Feet Road, Beside Poorvika Mobiles, Chandra Layout, Attiguppe, Near Vijaya Nagara, Bengaluru, 560040
India’s First Soil Carbon Payments to Farmers