Greenhouse gas emissions cause several negative consequences on the planet, such as air pollution, increasing ocean acidity and perhaps the most talked about problem – global warming. Research conducted in almost all corners of the world showed that agriculture was responsible for these emissions. That is why world scientists are searching for ways to make agricultural practices more sustainable by applying the principles of regenerative agriculture. Although sustainable ideas are implemented chiefly in distant countries, one idea emerged in Serbia recently. This is the story of Tara Lazarević, a grammar school student from Zaječar, who used her time and knowledge to find practical solutions to make our nature healthier.
A childhood spent in nature and playing and helping grandparents with their garden awakened Tara’s love for natural sciences in elementary school, which later spontaneously developed into a passion for ecology. About ten years later, Tara’s responsibility towards nature comes to the fore, primarily through participation in the World Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development. When contemplating what topic to present at the competition, Tara looked for solutions that would be more innovative than those that everyone knew about for the most part. Her final choice was to present the idea of designing carbon farms in Serbia.
IN FOCUS:
- WALK, RECYCLE, EARN TOKENS
- TOGETHER FOR THE PRESERVATION OF NAUTER’S DIVERSITY
- BY INVESTING IN SUSTAINABILITY, WE’RE IMPROVING THE NATURAL AND BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
What are carbon farms?
Explaining the broadest meaning of the term, Tara says that carbon farms and farms as we know them are very similar at first glance, but it’s the small changes that make a big difference and make carbon farms more sustainable. As the name suggests, these are farms that have a greater capacity to retain carbon in the soil. This is achieved in various ways, such as applying composting, growing and covering certain crops, and more.
“Given that each family throws away approximately 30 per cent of food that could be composted, special containers would be placed in the surrounding areas for the disposal of such waste, and they would be transported to the farms every two to three days,” explains Tara.
Such farms would be located over much larger areas than usual and not intended for personal use. Another important prerequisite that needs to be met will make carbon farms different. Namely, the area around farms requires afforestation and planned grazing, while factories will have no place in the immediate vicinity. As Tara states, the focus of carbon farms is on reducing excess carbon, but they would also contribute to solving other problems. Given that the greenhouse effect promotes fires, droughts and floods, the widespread use of such farms would impact mitigating weather disasters. Furthermore, the enriched soil would bring higher yields, which would be donated to those who do not have enough food, thereby alleviating the problem of hunger and poverty.
Prepared by Katarina Vuinac
Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine NATURE CONSERVATION.
