Carbon Credits in Agroforestry for Net Zero Emissions: A Global Synthesis

Abstract

Agroforestry (AF) plays a crucial role in agriculture by enhancing plant diversity, productivity, and ecological restoration. It involves carbon (C) trading, where farmers receive financial incentives for eco-friendly practices such as reducing greenhouse gases (GHGs) and increasing carbon dioxide (CO[[inf]]2[[/inf]]) sequestration. This leads to improvements in soil quality, crop yields, land productivity, and financial gains. Selling C credits also generates additional income. Similarly, C farming employs land management techniques to reduce emissions and enhance C capture. These strategies include zero tillage, agroforestry (AF), and methane-reducing feed supplements to improve soil aeration and C storage. The C farming initiative provides financial incentives to adopt these practices, which increases C credits for farmers facing challenges. This not only supports carbon sequestration (%) but also benefits food production and creates marketable goods. However, obstacles such as lack of skills and resources, high costs, and management issues pose significant challenges, hindering farmers’ progress. In short, AF promotes soil health, food security, and climate resilience, which are crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.