Soil health is the foundation for both environmental and human health. A global agricultural movement is building around the critically important role of farmers in regenerating soil to sustain the food system and contribute to climate change mitigation and other environmental goals. In 2015, at the Climate Conference of the Parties (COP 21), the French government initiated an international effort that calls for an annual increase of 0.4% in annual global soil carbon storage named 4 per 1000: Soils for Food Security and Climate. This initiative has been joined by 12 other European countries and more than 30 countries across the world. Policies supported by this initiative include innovative farming, ranching, land management, and agroforestry approaches that will enhance degraded soil by improving soil organic matter, carbon storage, and nutrient management. This initiative has gained global support, and two U.S. states, California and Maryland, joined the initiative in 2018. There is significant potential for this initiative in the New England, and an active effort is underway to promote supporting legislation in states in New England.
The land-use sectors of farming, fishing and timber harvesting were once the driving forces of the New England economy. Agriculture in New England has a rich history and is diverse in practice and scale. New England farms have much in common with those in European countries, including France, the inspiration for the 4per1000 initiative. Despite the reduction of New England farmland to under 2 million acres (0.8 million ha), or 5% of the regional landscape, New England farmers continue to produce about half of the dairy products and nearly half of the vegetables consumed in the region. In New England and New York, many farmers already employ soil-building practices that can improve soil fertility and soil carbon storage.
Results/Conclusions
The 4per1000 framework is particularly suitable for small to medium-size farms. Some New England farmers have already begun soil carbon measurement in the process of monitoring soil health, and Vermont and Massachusetts are enacting legislation to reward farmers who increase their soil carbon. We explore the potential for expanding healthy soil, organic, and regenerative agricultural practices in New England in collaboration with the international 4/1000 initiative.