A pilot project has been launched to record carbon emissions from government-owned seed farms in Kerala as part of the efforts to achieve a net zero status for Kerala.
The seed farms located in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ernakulam, and Kollam districts and the Athirappally tribal valley are involved in the one-year project. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on March 13, 2024, between the Kozhikode-based Centre for Water Resource Development and Management (CWRDM) and the Department of Agriculture for conducting the study. The project will be led by K.V. Sruthi, K. Naveena, M.C. Sarathjith, and Santosh Onte, scientists from CWRDM.
Manoj P. Samuel, Executive Director, CWRDM, told The Hindu on Sunday that the aim was to estimate the carbon footprint of these farms to see their carbon emissons. This would help develop suitable strategies for reducing emissions to achieve certification for their carbon footprint. The developed and certified greenhouse gas inventory would help establish carbon crediting mechanism in these farms. This would serve as a preliminary model to other farms as well as farmers in the State. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had declared the State Seed Farm, Aluva, as carbon neutral on December 10, 2022. Sources said that the farmers who control carbon emissions would be able to get credit points.
