Why in News?
India initiated its first-ever soil carbon payments worth ₹2.9 Crore to more than 2,500 smallholder farmers in Punjab and Haryana for adopting regenerative agriculture.
Key Points
It is the first instance in India of farmers receiving payments linked to carbon stored in their soil.
The payments are part of the Aadi carbon programme launched in 2019 by Grow Indigo with technical guidance from ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi
Participating farmers adopted practices such as Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), reduced tillage, crop-residue management and improved water-use practices between 2019 and 2022
The programme rewards practices that increase soil carbon and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Exam Connect
Regenerative agriculture → Direct Seeded Rice + reduced tillage + crop-residue management → improves soil health, water conservation + climate resilience.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) → autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) → established on 16 July 1929 as the Imperial Council of Agricultural Research.