How can agriculture help mitigate climate change?

 As the threats of climate change have become increasingly evident, it’s clear that mitigation efforts must span all sectors of the economy and society. Agriculture is uniquely positioned not only to reduce its own emissions but also to sequester carbon from the atmosphere through various regenerative practices. Several companies are more aware these days and are investing in initiatives for organic agriculture in the UAE. Let’s explore some of the keyways sustainable agriculture can help address the climate crisis.

Soil carbon storage

Healthy soil contains vast stores of carbon, but traditional tilling loses this organic matter over time. No-till and low-till methods employed by organic agriculture leave crop residues and roots in place to feed soil microbes. This builds soil carbon levels, capturing atmospheric CO2. Another approach is planting cover crops during fallow periods to add carbon back to fields.

Methane reduction

Rice paddies and livestock agriculture produce significant methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Adjusting water levels in rice and improving manure management, such as through biogas capture systems, can cut these emissions. Alternative feeds for cows that modify rumen function also show promise in methane mitigation.

Improved grazing practices

Rotational or mob grazing, which moves cattle frequently between paddocks, builds soil carbon better than stationary feedlots. It also prevents overgrazing while encouraging a diversity of grass and plants with deeper root systems to sequester carbon underground. Regenerative ranching can even convert degraded land into net carbon sinks.  

More trees on farms

Agroforestry interplants crop with trees to take advantage of their symbiotic relationship. Besides capturing carbon in biomass, tree root exudates feed microbes that store carbon in the subsoil. Alley cropping, silvopasture, and riparian buffer planting create carbon-fixing habitats while maintaining agricultural production. Perennial crops also store more carbon below ground than annually.

Reduced food waste

An estimated 30% of global food production never reaches human stomachs due to spoilage or overbuying. This wasted food represents unnecessary emissions from farming inputs and transportation. Improving harvest efficiencies, storage technologies, and conscious consumer choices around portion sizes and sell-by dates could significantly curb agriculture's carbon footprint.

Sustainability-focused practices, involving organic agriculture in Dubai adopted by farmers, hold great potential for drawing down atmospheric CO2. Mitigation strategies must span emissions reductions and carbon sequestration if we hope to make meaningful progress on climate change through the land use sector.

The Ekthaar sustainable farming solutions, as part of Bin Dasmal Group in UAE, offer fresh produce by using only a small percentage of soil and water. By reusing construction waste materials, the company is also able to save 25–30% of the total construction cost, making it a financially viable solution to the region's food security problems.