Reaching carbon net zero by 2050 is one of the main objectives in the struggle against global warming. It’s also part of the Green New Deal the EU agreed upon in 2019. Since the start of 2022, many figures in agriculture have been pushing for a carbon farming policy which would see farmers rewarded for their efforts in sequestering carbon.

It’s about using agricultural fields to store CO2 in the ground. Plants first absorb it from the air through a process called photosynthesis. Then their roots and other parts decompose, being converted into soil carbon by microbes. Soil is in fact the second largest form of carbon sink on Earth, after the oceans and ahead of forests. The aim is to sequester carbon more quickly. That leads to a greater organic content in the ground, allowing for better water retention and a reduction in the use of fertilizers.

How does carbon farming work?Why is agriculture in particular concerned by the net zero target? What is expected at a European level? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance.

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