Page 4 - Vol.39-No.2

FIRST GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF SOIL
EDITORIAL
CARBON IN GRASSLANDS

Improving management practices in grasslands— large areas such as intensive livestock grazing, agricultural activities and
covered with grass, especially used for animal grazing— can other land-use activities.
boost the capacity of soils as carbon sinks, and help countries According to the report, most of the world’s grasslands
reach their climate goals, according to a new report by the have a positive carbon balance, meaning the land is stable
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
or well-maintained. However, negative carbon balance was
After oceans, soils are the second largest carbon pool on found in East Asia, Central and South America, and Africa
Earth and they play an important role in global climate change south of the Equator, meaning these stocks are likely to be
due to the large amount of carbon currently stored in soil decreasing due to anthropogenic stresses combined with
organic matter. climatic conditions.
The first FAO Global assessment of Soil Carbon in Grass- This trend, however, could be reversed by stimulating plant
lands measured the baseline of stocks of Soil Organic Carbon growth, capturing carbon in the soil, and protecting carbon in
(SOC) — the carbon held within the soil that is measurable, highly organic soils, such as semi-natural (non-human man-
expressed as a percentage by weight (gC/Kg soil)— in both aged) grasslands.
semi-natural and managed grasslands and estimated their
In livestock management, this could also mean implementing
potential of SOC sequestration. rotational, planned or adaptative grazing measures for animals.
The study found that if the SOC content in the 0–30 cm
depth layer of available grasslands increased by 0.3 per cent Case studies
after 20 years of the application of management practices The report also explores other possible measures to improve
that enhance soil organic carbon sequestration, 0.3 tonnes SOC stocks through case studies, such as the establishment
C/ha per year could be sequestered. of fodder gardens in eastern African Countries.
“Assessing the current state of grassland systems and their More than 40,000 small farmers in Kenya and Uganda have
potential to sequester carbon in the soil is key to better un- established gardens with calliandra trees as a practice to raise
derstand the benefits of grassland services for food security, milk production and improve cow health.
biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation”,
says Thanawat Tiensin, Director of FAO’s Animal Production The trees have had remarkable success in conserving soil,
and Health Division. nutrient cycling and nutrient retention, but little is known
regarding their potential of sequestering carbon in the soil.
“This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the state
of carbon stocks and potential offsets in grassland soils in According to the study, the establishment of these gardens
the world. It can be also used as a baseline for future works has a potential increase in soil carbon of 0.03 tonnes C/ha
to enhance soil carbon sequestration through sustainable per year.
grazing management”, he adds. The report also explores options considering grazing systems
The importance of grasslands intensification in response to increasing demand for livestock
products and land competition.
Soils can act as both sources and sinks of carbon, and many
grasslands, which contain approximately 20 per cent of the These include enhancing carbon inputs from plant roots and
world’s SOC, have suffered losses because of human activities residues by managing plant biomass removal from grazing
or increasing forage production through improved species,
irrigation and fertilization.
In The Next Issue The limitations
Main Features The study points out that the lack of incentives for farmers

Food Processing Technology and Equipment to improve management practices, and the current difficulty
in accurately monitoring SOC stocks and changes are the
• Food Processing Machinery / Packaging Equipment main reasons that SOCs are not being included in the national
• Bakery, confectionery and sweets climate plans known as National Determined Contributions
• Canned and frozen foods (NDCs), which are at the heart of the Paris Agreement.
The results of the report could support the inclusion of SOC
• Dairy products, fats and oils / Fruits and vegetables targets in NDCs, improving their transparency for tracking
• Refrigeration and cold storage and comparing policy progress related to soils.
Environment Control The authors also underscore that the estimation of the
Advertise
Education in Agriculture Advertise global soil carbon stock is still quite uncertain and improved
geostatistical methods and data accuracy related to soil, an-
in the
in the
Next issue
Next issue
• Education and training programs & promote your imal and vegetation properties and their carbon exchange
& promote your
products !
• Research institutes products ! are urgently needed.
Horticulture “It is crucial to generate local datasets, especially from un-
derrepresented regions (e.g., Africa), and explore differences
• Tractors of Combine Harvesters among existing datasets”, they warn.
• Climate control facilities / Greenhouses The SOC stocks presented in the report can be used as
• Horticultural implements / Mushroom cultivation a baseline for future work to explore the impacts of live-
stock management on soil carbon at country and farm levels.
• Seeds and plantstock, Hybrid seeds However, there is still a strong necessity for additional data
• Cut flowers and indoor plants on current soil conditions, especially from underrepresented
regions
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