Carbon Farming

1. Introduction to carbon farming. The contribution of the agriculture to current climate change. The carbon farming as a pathway to climate neutrality and sustainability. The multiple goals of carbon farming: reduce the greenhouse gases emissions, promote soil carbon sequestration, maintain and enhance soil organic carbon

2. The carbon cycle. The anthropogenic perturbation of the carbon cycle. The contemporary carbon budget

3. Plant carbon assimilation: the photosynthesis

4. The soil carbon sequestration process

5. Carbon farming methodologies: land use, farming, others. Carbon farming practices (methodology, benefits, limitations and risks): Wetlands and peatlands restoration and protection

6. Carbon farming practices (methodology, benefits, limitations and risks): Aforestation, reforestation, forest restoration and sustainable forest management. Agroforestry

7. Carbon farming practices (methodology, benefits, limitations and risks): cropland management (use of catch crops, cover crops, conservation tillage, crop rotations, sowing companion crops, nitrogen fixing crops, etc.), nutrient and soil management (build soil carbon, nutrient additions, crop residues management), targeted conversion of cropland to fallow or permanent grassland,

8. Carbon farming practices (methodology, benefits, limitations and risks): livestock and pastureland management (breeds with lower methane emissions, optimized feeding strategies, animal waste management), improve soil organic matter in pastureland, mixed farming and livestock systems

9. Additional options: blue carbon farming, urban agriculture, organic farming, optimized water management

10. Technological support for carbon farming: smart agriculture, precision agriculture

11. Methods, tools and models to assess the carbon capture by various ecosystem and crop types

12. Analysis of carbon farming schemes case studies

13. Benefits of carbon farming. The potential of carbon farming in Europe and Greece (conditions, limits and risks). Carbon farming as a business plan (design, implementation and lifecycle of a carbon farming project). Funding options. Carbon farming in the EU strategies (Farm to Fork Strategy, new CAP, Biodiversity Strategy)