Farmers in Two Indian States to Get Carbon Credit for Sustainable Agri-practices
In a first-of-its-kind initiative to incentivise farmers for adoption of environmentally sustainable agriculture practices, in India’s rice and wheat growing states, farmers in Punjab and Haryana will be awarded carbon credits soon for adopting practices such as direct seeding and low tillage. The carbon farming programme has been initiated by a private entity Grow Indigo (GIPL), a joint venture between domestic seed major Mahyco and US-based Indigo.
According to Umang Agarwal, head, carbon, Grow Indigo, the audit of the programme has been completed under the carbon standard (Verra) protocol, which is a global voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction programme. On the basis of certification by Verra, the carbon credit will be awarded to farmers. Carbon credits from farmers can be purchased by those industries, especially aviation, mining or manufacturers of fertiliser, who are not in a position to reduce their carbon footprints because of the very nature of their business.
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