A 103-year-old seed farm in Kochi, located on the banks of the Periyar river, has been declared as the country's first ever carbon-neutral farm. This status was granted to the farmland by state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday.
The seed farm was able to nab this achievement by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and implementing carbon-neutral agricultural techniques.
While addressing the farmers and concerned officials at the Aluva Town Hall, Vijayan said that various places in the state will see the development of such farms that use carbon-neutral farming practices.
Similar interventions will be made in tribal regions as well, he noted, adding that the administration has already begin the process of creating 13 such farmlands in the state carbon neutral.
He emphasised the need to apply the notion of carbon-neutrality to other industries, noting Kerala's goal of becoming a net carbon-neutral state by 2050.
Agencies testing the soil samples from the farm reportedly revealed substantial levels of organic carbon as well as the presence of fungi, bacteria, and other microbes in it. Additionally, use of organic farming techniques further helped to lessen all sorts of carbon footprint in it.
According to research on the farm's carbon footprint done by the Kerala Agricultural University's College of Climate Change and Environmental Science between July 2021 and June 2022, the farm's overall storage of carbon was 213.45 tonnes, while its total carbon emissions were 43.08 tonnes.
Vijayan also noted in his speech that the agriculture is responsible for up to 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, which can be reduced and hence climate change can be controlled by adopting carbon-neutral farming techniques.
About Kochi's Aluva Seed Farm:
The 12-acre farm has been free of chemical pesticides and fertilizers for more than ten years. Instead, organic fertilizer is generated from composted farm waste.
In addition to paddy, the farm also grows vegetables, plantains, coconut palms, and tubers. Leaves and straws are thrown into the paddy field itself to increase soil fertility. Since dung is not utilized directly in the soil, relatively little methane is released. Fish, Kuttanadan ducks, honey bees, poultry, native cows, Malabari goats, fish, native goats, honey bees, and vermicompost are all a part of the farm's integrated farming practices.
