The potential effect of globally expanding organic farming on cropland soil organic carbon stocks has been estimated using a modelling approach. The results reveal that large-scale expansion of organic farming could lead to a reduction in soil organic carbon stocks unless appropriate farming practices, such as increased cover cropping, are adopted.
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References
IPCC: Summary for Policymakers. In Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems (eds Shukla, P. R. et al.) (IPCC, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2019). An IPCC special report on lands that provides estimates of the global greenhouse gas emissions of the agricultural and food sectors.
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This is a summary of: Gaudaré, U. et al. Soil organic carbon stocks potentially at risk of decline with organic farming expansion. Nat. Clim. Change https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01721-5 (2023).
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Expansion of organic farming could reduce soil organic carbon stocks. Nat. Clim. Chang. 13, 619–620 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01722-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01722-4
