The paper reports that soil carbon needs to reach a particular threshold before it has a significant positive effect on crop production and demonstrates the importance of soil carbon in reducing production risk.
December 2010: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has released a discussion paper describing the impacts of sustainable land management on soil carbon and the impacts of soil carbon on crop productivity.
The paper uses data collected in Uganda and includes variables, such as irrigation, fertilizers, improved fallow and crop residues. It reports that soil carbon needs to reach a particular threshold before it has a significant positive effect on crop production and demonstrates that soil carbon has a risk-reducing effect. IFPRI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [IFPRI Discussion Paper]