Strategies for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Carbon Farming for Viksit Bharat: A Synthesis of Current Adoption and Future Potential

Abstract

Abstract Indian agriculture is at a decisive crossroads, tasked with balancing food security for a growing population with the national mandate to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. India being the world’s third-largest emitter of agricultural greenhouse gases (GHGs), primarily through methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation, rice cultivation and nitrous oxide (N2O) from fertilizer use, the sector must transform from a carbon (C) source to a robust sink. This article evaluates the strategic shift toward "Carbon Farming," a paradigm that monetizes carbon sequestration in biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) while sustaining traditional yields. Aligned with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, this study projects the strategic scaling of agroforestry alongside integrated farming and resource-management practices to guarantee high-quality, scalable outcomes for smallholder farmers.