Prospect of Organic Agriculture in the Present Climate Change Scenario

In this chapter, the potential of organic agriculture for climate change mitigation and adaptation is addressed. Through soil carbon sequestration, organic agriculture has a great potential to lower atmospheric carbon. According to various studies, the potential to reduce emissions by eliminating chemical fertilizers is about 20% and the potential to sequester carbon is around 40–72% of present yearly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture worldwide. Organically managed systems can help to mitigate climate change through careful regulation of soil nutrients, resulting in reduced nitrous oxide emissions from soils. Organic agriculture offers many opportunities to develop sustainable systems of food production for climate change adaptation uncertainties because it diversifies farms and enriches soils with organic matter. In addition, organic farming offers an alternative to energy-intensive inputs such as synthetic fertilizers, whose use by the rural poor is likely to be further restricted as energy prices rise. Organic farming systems provide yields that are comparable to or even higher than those produced by conventional agricultural systems in underdeveloped nations, making it a potentially critical option for sustainable livelihoods and food security of the rural poor in the context of climate change. Authorized organically produced products offer farmers more income opportunities and can thus support climate-friendly farming methods worldwide.