When the carbon balance changes

The 4 per 1000 initiative

Have you ever heard of the 4 per mille (4 per 1000) initiative? It suggests that slightly increasing soil carbon each year could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While soils have natural limits and practical challenges to meeting the theoretical potential exist, this initiative has sparked widespread attention to the potential role of soil management in climate adaptation and mitigation.

For an introduction, you can watch a short video (~3 min) or read Minasny et al. (2017). For a critical review of the practical constraints, see Amundson & Biardeau (2018).