The Carbon Farming Solution : A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food Security by Eric Toensmeier read book FB2, DOC, TXT
9781603585712 English 1603585710 Agriculture is rightly blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis. But in this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture--specifically, the subset of practices known as "carbon farming"--can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. Combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions--and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment-- carbon farming has the potential to bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the "magic number" of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier's book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place, including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there. Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don't require significant changes to human diet, and--given the amount of agricultural land worldwide that is devoted to pasture--can be important strategies in the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored by climate crusaders. Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts, but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity, and repairing degraded land--all while sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future, these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as women's empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice. The Carbon Farming Solution does not present a prescription for how cropland should be used and is not, first and foremost, a how-to manual, although following up on references in a given section will frequently provide such information. Instead, The Carbon Farming Solution is--at its root--a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers, communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Toensmeier's ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. With The Carbon Farming Solution, Toensmeier wants to change the discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes., In this groundbreaking book, author Eric Toensmeier offers a Big Idea: Agriculture, often blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis, could be harnessed as part of a global solution to avert disaster, heal our planet, and provide real food security. He argues that carbon farming-when combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment-has the potential to return our atmosphere to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. What is carbon farming? It is a suite of agricultural crops and practices that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. It includes modifications to annual cropping systems, the use of perennial crops, new approaches to animal grazing, agroforestry, and more. The Carbon Farming Solution brings together these powerful strategies in one book, creating a toolkit for farmers, communities, and governments large and small to launch successful carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices for their climates, locales, and socioeconomic needs. Because carbon farming is a multifunctional, systems-based solution for climate change mitigation, well-developed carbon farming projects will also improve food security, strengthen local economies, promote climate justice, empower women, and restore damaged ecosystems. As the world struggles for viable solutions to the climate crisis, Toensmeier shows how long-term carbon storage in healthy soils and perennial crops offers an unprecedented opportunity to regenerate degraded lands and store carbon where it's needed most. Book jacket., In this groundbreaking book, author Eric Toensmeier offers a Big Idea: That agriculture, often blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis, could be harnessed as part of a global solution to avert disaster, heal our planet, and provide real food security. Toensmeier (Paradise Lot, Perennial Vegetables) argues that "carbon farming" has the potential--when combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment--to return our atmosphere to the "magic number" of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass, which includes modifications to current cropping systems, the use of perennial crops, new approaches to animal grazing, agroforestry, and more. Toensmeier brings together these powerful strategies in one book including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what we need to understand better and the steps that can get us there. The book includes in-depth information on: * Perennial staple and industrial crops including those that can provide us with starches, sugar, oils, fiber, energy, and more * Improved grazing and livestock practices * Measurements of a project's impact on carbon reduction and sequestration * Details on how to scale up existing carbon farming enterprises * Effective financing models for communities and the private sector * An overview of international policy barriers to expanding carbon farming Using The Carbon Farming Solution as a guide, farmers, communities, and governments large and small can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Along the way it can help address food security, social and climate injustice, women's empowerment, environmental degradation, and some of the core problems with the global food system. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools and shovel-ready solutions presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes., With carbon farming, agriculture ceases to be part of the climate problem and becomes a critical part of the solution Agriculture is rightly blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis. But in this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture specifically, the subset of practices known as carbon farming can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. Combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment carbon farming has the potential to bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the magic number of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier s book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place, including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there. Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don t require significant changes to human diet, and given the amount of agricultural land worldwide that is devoted to pasture can be important strategies in the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored by climate crusaders. Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts, but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity, and repairing degraded land all while sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future, these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as women s empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice. The Carbon Farming Solution does not present a prescription for how cropland should be used and is not, first and foremost, a how-to manual, although following up on references in a given section will frequently provide such information. Instead, The Carbon Farming Solution is at its root a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers, communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Toensmeier s ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. With The Carbon Farming Solution, Toensmeier wants to change the discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes."
9781603585712 English 1603585710 Agriculture is rightly blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis. But in this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture--specifically, the subset of practices known as "carbon farming"--can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. Combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions--and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment-- carbon farming has the potential to bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the "magic number" of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier's book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place, including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there. Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don't require significant changes to human diet, and--given the amount of agricultural land worldwide that is devoted to pasture--can be important strategies in the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored by climate crusaders. Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts, but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity, and repairing degraded land--all while sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future, these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as women's empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice. The Carbon Farming Solution does not present a prescription for how cropland should be used and is not, first and foremost, a how-to manual, although following up on references in a given section will frequently provide such information. Instead, The Carbon Farming Solution is--at its root--a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers, communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Toensmeier's ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. With The Carbon Farming Solution, Toensmeier wants to change the discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes., In this groundbreaking book, author Eric Toensmeier offers a Big Idea: Agriculture, often blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis, could be harnessed as part of a global solution to avert disaster, heal our planet, and provide real food security. He argues that carbon farming-when combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment-has the potential to return our atmosphere to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. What is carbon farming? It is a suite of agricultural crops and practices that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. It includes modifications to annual cropping systems, the use of perennial crops, new approaches to animal grazing, agroforestry, and more. The Carbon Farming Solution brings together these powerful strategies in one book, creating a toolkit for farmers, communities, and governments large and small to launch successful carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices for their climates, locales, and socioeconomic needs. Because carbon farming is a multifunctional, systems-based solution for climate change mitigation, well-developed carbon farming projects will also improve food security, strengthen local economies, promote climate justice, empower women, and restore damaged ecosystems. As the world struggles for viable solutions to the climate crisis, Toensmeier shows how long-term carbon storage in healthy soils and perennial crops offers an unprecedented opportunity to regenerate degraded lands and store carbon where it's needed most. Book jacket., In this groundbreaking book, author Eric Toensmeier offers a Big Idea: That agriculture, often blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis, could be harnessed as part of a global solution to avert disaster, heal our planet, and provide real food security. Toensmeier (Paradise Lot, Perennial Vegetables) argues that "carbon farming" has the potential--when combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment--to return our atmosphere to the "magic number" of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass, which includes modifications to current cropping systems, the use of perennial crops, new approaches to animal grazing, agroforestry, and more. Toensmeier brings together these powerful strategies in one book including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what we need to understand better and the steps that can get us there. The book includes in-depth information on: * Perennial staple and industrial crops including those that can provide us with starches, sugar, oils, fiber, energy, and more * Improved grazing and livestock practices * Measurements of a project's impact on carbon reduction and sequestration * Details on how to scale up existing carbon farming enterprises * Effective financing models for communities and the private sector * An overview of international policy barriers to expanding carbon farming Using The Carbon Farming Solution as a guide, farmers, communities, and governments large and small can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Along the way it can help address food security, social and climate injustice, women's empowerment, environmental degradation, and some of the core problems with the global food system. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools and shovel-ready solutions presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes., With carbon farming, agriculture ceases to be part of the climate problem and becomes a critical part of the solution Agriculture is rightly blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis. But in this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture specifically, the subset of practices known as carbon farming can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. Combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment carbon farming has the potential to bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the magic number of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier s book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place, including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there. Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don t require significant changes to human diet, and given the amount of agricultural land worldwide that is devoted to pasture can be important strategies in the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored by climate crusaders. Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts, but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity, and repairing degraded land all while sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future, these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as women s empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice. The Carbon Farming Solution does not present a prescription for how cropland should be used and is not, first and foremost, a how-to manual, although following up on references in a given section will frequently provide such information. Instead, The Carbon Farming Solution is at its root a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers, communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Toensmeier s ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. With The Carbon Farming Solution, Toensmeier wants to change the discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes."