[Terrapreta] FAO recognizes importance of C-sequestration in soilsat high-level conference

[Sean K. Barry]

Hi Lorenzo,

This is a fantastic posting.  I am very enthused by this news.  There is no direct mention (as you have said) of "biochar" or the formation of Terra Preta soils using biochar-in-soil in the document below.  But, the description in section 8. that you highlighted is almost a definition of what the possibilities of TP soils formation are, particularly that which I highlighted in blue.

I think this document clearly shows that TP soils formation can and will become part of the new work we can do towards solving BOTH the growing climate problems and helping to improve food production (agricultural productiivity), improving the plights of millions of agrarian people living in places where food production and local economics are very poor.

If "biochar-in-soil" can be given the true economic value as a climate mitigation styrategy that I think it deserves, then this could help the livelihoods tens or hundreds of millions of people.  When Terra Preta soils formation produces increased soil fertility and agricultural productivity, then this too can help tens or hundreds of millions of people.  Working on the formation of Terra Preta soils by carbonizing biomass into biochar and investing it into soil carbon banks can remove carbon directly from the atmosphere and it will sequester the carbon for many centuries or even many millennia.  This isn't theory.  It is common sense in my opinion.

Somehow we need to make a presentation to the FAO that Terra Preta soils formation IS what they are talking about in section 8 of this document.  We have a way to make their objectives a very viable reality.  They need to know this.

Regards,

SKB


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Laurens Rademakers<mailto:lrademakers at biopact.com> 
  To: terra Preta<mailto:terrapreta at bioenergylists.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, May 29, 2008 12:54 PM
  Subject: [Terrapreta] FAO recognizes importance of C-sequestration in soilsat high-level conference


  As you know, the FAO has been holding preparatory meetings (January - April) for the big upcoming  ...

  8. Global Soil Carbon Sequestration Initiative. IPCC estimates that the reduction of
  agricultural GHG mitigation options are cost-competitive with non-agricultural options for
  achieving long-term climate objectives. Soil carbon sequestration could in fact take effect very
  quickly and is very cost-effective in agriculture. A win-win approach could be achieved by paying
  farmers for carbon sequestration (building soil organic matter) which sets up a scenario where:
  CO2 is removed from the atmosphere (mitigation); higher organic matter levels in soil increase
  agroecosystem resilience (adaptation); and improved soil fertility leads to better yields
  (production and income generation). However, sequestration of CO2 in soils is not included in the
  Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) agreed to in Kyoto. The scope of the successor of the
  CDM could be enhanced with a view to increase carbon sinks in soil and in above- and belowground
  biomass, and thus contribute to removing methodological barriers to operationalising soil
  carbon sequestration under the Post-2012 climate change regime. FAO should play a leading role
  in this process, including through the establishment of a Global Soil Carbon Sequestration
  Initiative entrusted with the promotion of agricultural technologies that restore carbon pools and
  soil quality (e.g. organic agriculture, conservation agriculture) and to create tools to measure,
  monitor and verify soil carbon pools and fluxes of greenhouse gas emissions (namely nitrous
  oxide) from agricultural soils, including croplands and pastures.
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