ARS | Publication request: AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES AND POLICY OPTIONS FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION: WHAT WE KNOW AND WHERE WE NEED TO GO

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: March 14, 2002
Publication Date: May 24, 2002
Citation: Kimble, J.M., Lal, R., Follett, R.F. 2002. Agricultural practices and policy options for carbon sequestration: what we know and where we need to go. pp. 495-501.

Interpretive Summary: The science of carbon sequestration is know and we can measure and verify changes the next step is really the development and implantation of policy options that meet the needs of production agriculture and also allow for a sustainable environmentally friendly agriculture. Once this is done every one will benefit from the "critters" that live in the soil and make it one of the most diverse biological systems to the people who eat the food produced on well managed land! And we will have improved water quality; wildlife habitat and even reduced the need for external inputs to the soil. All this is possible and the key is Soil Organic Carbon!

Technical Abstract: The science of carbon sequestration is known and we can measure and verify changes the next step is to develop and implement policy options that meet the needs of production agriculture and also allow for a sustainable environmentally friendly agriculture. Once this is done every one will benefit from the processes that occur in soil and make it one of the most diverse biological systems. Not only food production can occur in a sustainable manner, but we will have improved water quality; wildlife habitat and even reduce external inputs to the soil. All this is possible and the key is Soil Organic Carbon.