The Potential of Soil Carbon Sequestration: International and National Soil Carbon Projects

However, less importance has been given to the management of SOC than to the carbon in living soil cover because of the faster recycling of the latter. Soil can be a source or sink of carbon, depending on its management. Globally, agriculture, forestry, and land use changes account for ca. 21% of the global emissions, with strong regional differences regarding regions and source sectors. The question is whether it is possible to manage soil so that agricultural practices and land use in general become carbon sinks instead of sources. Scientific evidence indicates that increases in SOC are associated with better soil fertility and biodiversity and more resilience against erosion, droughts, and floods, in addition to other positive effects directly related to several sustainable development goals (SDGs). This chapter explores different soil carbon projects, carried out both internationally and nationally, to exploit the enormous potential of soil in mitigating climate change.