Promotion of Carbon Credit for Climate Change Mitigation in the Cotton growing areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat

Project Background:

The word ‘Carbon’ in ‘Carbon Markets’ refers to carbon dioxide (CO₂) – the most common greenhouse gas (GHG). Important buyers of the carbon credits are private firms and NGOs seeking to voluntarily contribute to sustainable development Participation in the carbon marketplace is voluntary, but for farmers to benefit they will have to make a commitment for fixed number of years to continue to benefit from Carbon Credit payments.Carbon credits are seen as a solution to mitigate climate change by rewarding GHG emissions reduction or carbon removal from the atmosphere. In the context of agriculture, carbon credits can be generated by implementing sustainable practices that reduce emissions or sequester carbon. It is the fact that GHG emissions from agricultural residue burning in India has increased by 75 % since 2011. Also more than 80% of our famers still follow traditional flood system of irrigation and intensive tillage operations

Carbon marketplaces enable reducing carbon emissions by paying for a carbon credit that a separate party has sequestered. A carbon credit is a digital certificate generated after rigorous monitoring and verification of the adopted regenerative practices. Linkage of agriculture to carbon markets can provide a new source of income for farmers who implement such practices that reduce GHG emissions or sequester (retain) carbon.

Thus, this approach provides farmers with a financial incentive to adopt sustainable practices, such as not burning residues, adoption of Drip Irrigation, reduced tillage etc. By participating in such initiatives, farmers contribute to climate change mitigation efforts while also potentially improving their own livelihoods. The involvement of a third-party verifier helps ensure the integrity and credibility of the process, providing assurance to all stakeholders involved.

The project is being implemented primarily for Cotton farmers of Maharashtra and Gujarat who are using Drip Irrigation.  AFPRO with its presence in Maharashtra and Gujarat and helping cotton farmers through various initiatives will help Vitthal Agrotech in implementing carbon credit project with 50000 (Fifty thousand) acres of farm land (Cotton) from three districts (Jalgaon, Yavatmal & Auranagabad) of Maharashtra and six districts of Gujarat (Ahmedabad, Surendranagar, Morbi, Rajkot, Junagad & Jamnagar) for a period of one year.

Project Objectives:

• Improved Farm Profitability/Additional Income- Farmers will earn extra income through Carbon Credit sale.
• Improved Soil Health – Farmers adapt regenerative practices like reduced tillage and the sequestered carbon will improve soil health and minimize GHGs emission.
• Improved Water Productivity and Water Use efficiency – Reduced ground water usage by 20-40%.