• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system," said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn't reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India's farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India's methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. “You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,” he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India’s high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world’s largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system," said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn't reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India's farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India's Millions of Dairy Farms Creating Tricky Methane Problem

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. 'Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,' said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's 'still happy we have our cows.' India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third-largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. FILE - A man walks holding an umbrella past a cow at a farm adjacent to a residential apartment complex in Kochi, southern Kerala state, India, June 11, 2022. FILE - A man walks holding an umbrella past a cow at a farm adjacent to a residential apartment complex in Kochi, southern Kerala state, India, June 11, 2022. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with more than 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. 'Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,' said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. 'These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,' he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. 'Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,' she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. 'Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system,' said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn't reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India's farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India's methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. 'You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,' he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India's high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world's largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions. 'In this light, India's agriculture sector emissions must be considered significantly low,' Shah said. Because of its large population, India's per capita emissions are well below average. For dairy farmers like Tamilarasu, better welfare for her cows and programs for farmers to have better practices are welcome, but she won't be leaving her cows for the climate any time soon. She plans to continue dairy farming for the foreseeable future. 'The way we see it, our cows and us support each other. If we can make their lives better, they will make ours better too,' she said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system," said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn't reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India's farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India's methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. “You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,” he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India’s high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world’s largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions. “In this light, India’s agriculture sector emissions must be considered significantly low,” Shah said. Because of its large population, India's per capita emissions are well below average. For dairy farmers like Tamilarasu, better welfare for her cows and programs for farmers to have better practices are welcome, but she won't be leaving her cows for the climate any time soon. She plans to continue dairy farming for the foreseeable future. “The way we see it, our cows and us support each other. If we can make their lives better, they will make ours better too,” she said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It’s creating a methane problem that’s tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she’s “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world’s largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48 percent of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there’s some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government’s National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15 percent when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board’s chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. “These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there’s currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers’ livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system,” said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn’t reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India’s farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India’s methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. “You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,” he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India’s high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world’s largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions. “In this light, India’s agriculture sector emissions must be considered significantly low,” Shah said. Because of its large population, India’s per capita emissions are well below average. For dairy farmers like Tamilarasu, better welfare for her cows and programs for farmers to have better practices are welcome, but she won’t be leaving her cows for the climate any time soon. She plans to continue dairy farming for the foreseeable future. “The way we see it, our cows and us support each other. If we can make their lives better, they will make ours better too,” she said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It’s creating a methane problem that’s tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she’s “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world’s largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there’s some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government’s National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board’s chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. “These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

https://www.everand.com/article/716343744/India-Has-Millions-Of-Dairy-Farmers-It-s-Creating-A-Methane-Problem-That-s-Tricky-To-Solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

Cow methane emissions are reduced by 15% with balanced diet -NDDB report

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she’s “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world’s largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there’s some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government’s National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board’s chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. “These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there’s currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers’ livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system,” said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn’t reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India’s farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India’s methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. “You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,” he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India’s high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world’s largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions. “In this light, India’s agriculture sector emissions must be considered significantly low,” Shah said. Because of its large population, India’s per capita emissions are well below average. For dairy farmers like Tamilarasu, better welfare for her cows and programs for farmers to have better practices are welcome, but she won’t be leaving her cows for the climate any time soon. She plans to continue dairy farming for the foreseeable future. “The way we see it, our cows and us support each other. If we can make their lives better, they will make ours better too,” she said.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock. “Livestock have been closely integrated within the Indian farming system," said Kumar, meaning any drastic changes to farming methods would have severe effects on farmers. He added that efforts to reduce emissions shouldn't reduce the use of cow manure as fertilizer on India's farms, as chemical fertilizers emit nitrous oxide, an even more potent greenhouse gas. But looking at India's methane emissions as a whole could provide some more obvious solutions to slashing the gas, said Bandish Patel, an energy analyst at the climate thinktank Ember. Focusing on the energy sector is an easy win for targeted reduction of methane emissions, he said. “You look at agriculture, those emissions are very dispersed in nature, whereas, with oil, gas and coal mining, there are very pointed sources from which you can basically reduce methane going forward,” he said. Shah from the NDDB added that India’s high agricultural emissions must be considered in the context of the country being home to the world’s largest cattle population, the largest producer of milk, and the largest rice exporter, as rice production also produces significant methane emissions. “In this light, India’s agriculture sector emissions must be considered significantly low,” Shah said. Because of its large population, India's per capita emissions are well below average. For dairy farmers like Tamilarasu, better welfare for her cows and programs for farmers to have better practices are welcome, but she won't be leaving her cows for the climate any time soon. She plans to continue dairy farming for the foreseeable future.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. advertisement India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority from cattle. Methane is a potent planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruit for climate solutions, as methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can linger for a couple of hundred years. But there's some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government's National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic improvement programs to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board's chairman. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said. Whatever measures are taken to reduce methane emissions, experts note that it should have minimal impact on farmers' livelihoods, and should account for the ways people raise their livestock.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It's creating a methane problem that's tricky to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family's land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it's a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India's southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she's “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world's largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. "These solutions can be a win-win for everyone," he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there's currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting.

• Sustainable Food Systems

India has millions of dairy farmers. It’s creating a methane problem that’s difficult to solve

Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but she prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm in India’s southern Tamil Nadu state. Even when she could be making more money elsewhere, she said she’s “still happy we have our cows.” India is the world’s largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers, like Tamilarasu, only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere, like by moving to renewable energy, saying most methane emissions are a fact of life. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming. India is the third largest emitter of methane in the world, according to figures published earlier this month by the International Energy Agency, and livestock are responsible for about 48% of all methane emissions in India, the vast majority of cattle. Methane is a powerful planet-warming gas that can trap more than 80 times more heat in the atmosphere in the short term than carbon dioxide. The Indian government has not joined any global pledges to cut methane emissions, which many see as low-hanging fruits for climate solutionsas methane emissions only last in the atmosphere for about a dozen years, compared to CO2 that can remain for a couple of hundred years. But there’s some work on methane reduction in agriculture on the national level: The government’s National Dairy Development Board, which works with over 17 million farmers across the country, is looking into genetic programs improvement to provide more nutritious feed to livestock which would make cows more productive, meaning each farmer would need fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk. Studies by the NDDB show that emissions are reduced by as much as 15% when a balanced diet is provided to the animals. The board is also looking into reducing crop burning, a high-emitting practice that some farmers use to clear their lands, by feeding those crops to cows. “Climate-smart dairying is the need of the hour,” said Meenesh Shah, the board’s chairman. FILE – A man walks holding an umbrella past a cow at a farm adjacent to a residential apartment complex in Kochi, southern Kerala state, India, Saturday, June 11, 2022. (AP Photo/RS Iyer, File) Vineet Kumar, from the New Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment, agreed that good quality feed can help lower emissions. He also said encouraging more local breeds that emit less can help. “These solutions can be a win-win for everyone,” he said. But Thanammal Ravichandran, a veterinarian based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, noted that there’s currently a shortage of feed in India, so farmers give their cattle whatever they can, which is mostly lower quality and higher emitting. “Farmers are also not able to invest in better quality feed for their cattle,” she said. To get better, and more affordable feed, dairy farmers need more government support, she said.

• Climate Change and Green Economy

Environment Experts Question Govt’s Green Credit Scheme, Say Methodology Doesn’t Inspire Confidence

On February 22, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) released a detailed methodology for a component of its Green Credit Programme, effectively enabling the trade of environmental benefits arising from tree planting. The Union government calls the programme an “innovative market-based mechanism designed to incentivise voluntary environmental actions across diverse sectors.” But environmentalists and policy experts are wary about the extent to which market forces can support conservation and sustainability goals. The fine print of the scheme says the objective is to “encourage industries, companies and other entities to meet their existing obligations,” under current compliance laws, while also encouraging “other persons and entities” to participate voluntarily. The methodology, issued in February, encourages large-scale tree planting on open forests and scrub lands, among other land types, to generate credits. These credits can be bought to meet obligations under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). They can also be exchanged to meet compensatory afforestation requirements under the Forest (Conservation) Act, which makes it mandatory for project developers to raise plantations at an alternate site for cutting down trees on forest land. Launched in October 2023, the Green Credit Programme aims to create tradable credits from a range of activities, such as reducing air pollution and incorporating sustainable infrastructure. The Ministry had sped up the process of officiating the scheme by cutting down the window for civil society and others to submit their objections and suggestions to the scheme. “The Green Credit Programme is trying to do some pioneering work on inter-sector fungibility, and to build a national market in which there is fungibility in green actions. This is important because what we’re trying to do is create equivalence and deliver the same value to various actors,” said Swapan Mehra, founder and CEO of IORA Ecological solutions, an environmental consultancy firm that helped design and conceptualise the Green Credit Programme. “With tree planting, even if initially it is linked to forest department lands and regulations like CSR, the long-term goal is to incentivise these contributions voluntarily, so that entities want to contribute towards sustainability,” he added. A new Green Credit website set up by the government says there are already 267 “registered plantation blocks”, amounting to over 17,000 hectares of land available for tree planting, as on March 18. The government has plans of showcasing its leadership with the Green Credit Programme on an international stage, with the Global Green Credit Initiative. However, the initiative has raised several concerns domestically. Experts Mongabay India spoke to raised concerns about the environmental soundness of the scheme, as well as possible regulatory gaps that the tree planting methodology doesn’t directly address. Departure from draft guidelines The final methodology to generate green credits through tree planting departs significantly from its draft version, which included more details about how the scheme would operate. According to the final methodology, forest and state departments will identify and “make available” degraded land, open forests, scrub lands, wastelands and catchment areas for large-scale tree plantations. Each tree planted on such land generates one credit and the minimum area of land eligible under the scheme is five hectares. Participants must pay the forest department to raise the plantations and credits will be issued by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) after the plantations are evaluated. The methodology does not describe the criteria that the plantations will need to meet in order to secure approval, only that it must hold 1100 trees per hectare of land, which some ecologists have said may exacerbate degradation. Mehra agreed the stipulation on density of saplings per hectare could be less stringent. “The number of saplings per location should be allowed to be slightly flexible, because in some cases, putting 1100 per hectare might be difficult for certain types of species and land types.” The final methodology leaves out several details that were incorporated in the original draft, which laid an emphasis on contributions of individuals, co-operatives and small land-holding farmers. The draft had proposed the credits be issued progressively over 10 years, depending on the survivability of the plants as well as evidence of their maturation. It also suggested the minimum number of trees planted per hectare be 100, and the maximum 1000. The draft methodology even considered issuing credits on a gradient across different rainfall zones, with a list of appropriate forestry and horticulture species that can be planted. None of these details, however, made it to the final version. “The methodology uses a tree-for-tree approach without considering the cultural importance or ecosystem services provided by forests and land,” said Meenakshi Kapoor, an independent environmental researcher who closely tracks changes to India’s environmental norms. The newly launched Green Credit website says the credits will be issued within two years of the forest department completing the plantation – a detail that doesn’t find mention in the final notified methodology. “How will these plantations survive in the long term? The methodology doesn’t address this,” Kapoor added. Large-scale plantation programmes, managed by state forest departments, have been marred by poor monitoring and compliance. An investigation into state afforestation programmes by news website Scroll found that several plantations existed only on paper. A 2013 report by the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) also noted serious discrepancies in compensatory afforestation efforts by states. In a letter issued on March 19, a group of 91 retired civil servants wrote to the MOEFCC calling the scheme “unscientific.” “Compensatory afforestation plantations already undertaken in our country are known to have dubious success rates. At any rate, the government also has huge unspent funds for such afforestation programmes and does not need further investment from any private agency. It would be a much better plan to merely protect and restore these degraded lands to their original condition,” the civil servants wrote in their letter, shared with the media. Links to the carbon market The Green Credit Programme will run parallel to the domestic carbon market, but the rules suggest that some activities can be shared by both green credits and carbon credits. Since activities generating green credits “may have climate co-benefits…an activity generating green credit under Green Credit programme may also get carbon credit from the same activity,” the rules say. Experts say that the Green Credit Programme’s intended linkages with India’s upcoming carbon market, as well as its applicability to compensatory afforestation requirements, could prove to be tenuous without rigorous regulations. The objective of India’s domestic carbon market is to reduce carbon emissions from key sectors. Trees and forests have a potential role to play by acting as carbon sinks that absorb and store carbon. “Without proper regulation, it could turn into a problem of additionality in the carbon market,” Trishant Dev, programme officer of climate change at the Centre for Science and Environment and co-author of the report Discredited, which investigated the operations of the international voluntary carbon market in the country, told Mongabay India. In carbon markets, “additionality” refers to the assurance that emissions reductions, achieved through the sale of carbon credits, would not have happened without financial support from those credits. “If an activity has already been compensated for through the exchange of green credits, the question then is, how can the same activity be compensated for by another entity in exchange for carbon credits? It would be a violation of the principle of additionality,” Dev explained. Mehra says the Green Credit Scheme doesn’t support double counting, but encourages “double claiming,” as a way of enhancing the monetary value of planting trees, particularly for small land-holders who have not had access to the carbon market due to high transaction costs. “Double claiming is when you can claim multiple forms of payment for different services rendered by the same asset. This is different from double counting, where the same commodity is sold twice,” he said, adding, “There cannot be double counting because the Green Credit Programme doesn’t monetise carbon. On additionality, existing carbon market standards require that the project not be part of any other markets, in which case the landowner can see which, carbon credits or green credits, gives them higher value. The cash flows of a project will also reveal how much was funded by the green credit programme, and if it exceeds the threshold of the requirements in the carbon market, it can be deemed non-additional.” Mehra believes that as the programme evolves, a distinction will emerge between green credits generated on forest department land and community-owned land, with differing implications on additionality.