Introduction
The regeneration of agricultural soil and its transformation into a carbon sink is an innovative and sustainable strategy to combat climate change. This approach not only improves soil fertility and its ability to produce abundant crops, but also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions by improving soil structure and its ability to retain nutrients and water. The issue of CO2 absorption and release from cultivated fields is complex and multifactorial. As plants grow, they absorb CO2 through the process of photosynthesis, which helps reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. However, once crops are harvested, common agricultural practices such as burning crop residues, plowing residues into the soil, or biodigestion can actually release significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere at a ratio of nearly 1:1, essentially a break-even ratio between absorbed and re-emitted CO2.
“This cycle of carbon absorption and release is a critical aspect in the sustainable management of agricultural land as a carbon sink”.
Current research explores alternative methods to manage both crop residues so that the carbon captured by plants is not released back into the atmosphere and residues of animal (e.g. manure) or human (e.g. sewage sludge) origin. The aim is to develop agricultural systems that avoid releasing CO2 and can also act as carbon sinks, thus contributing to climate change mitigation. This requires a change in traditional agricultural practices and the adoption of innovative technologies, such as CO2Fixator, that can be scaled up. CO2Fixator, the subject of this study, presents an approach that avoids the release of CO2 and other polluting gases (measurable as CO2 equivalents) and ensures the development of simpler and more sustainable agricultural practices. The agricultural sector has many margins for crop innovation and profit: the use of agricultural waste as fertilizer and the generation of carbon credits represent a significant opportunity. This process of quantification and certification is essential for the creation of a reliable and transparent carbon credit market. Furthermore, the Public Registry of Carbon Credits Generated on a Voluntary Basis by the National Agroforestry Sector has been established, with the aim of valorising sustainable agricultural and forestry management practices. This registry allows farmers to register the carbon credits generated and participate in a national voluntary market, in line with the provisions relating to the National Registry of Agro-Forestry Carbon Sink. The use of agricultural waste as fertilizer and the generation of carbon credits are concrete examples of how agriculture can evolve towards a more sustainable and profitable model.