Feasibility of the "4 per 1000" Initiative Through the Adoption of Agroforestry in Colombia

Abstract

This research explores the feasibility of the 4 per 1000 initiative in Colombia through the adoption of agroforestry practices. Agroforestry (AF) has the potential to provide environmental benefits through the sequestration of carbon in agricultural land that has been managed in a conventional fashion. I followed a meta-analysis approach using a comprehensive dataset with 56 studies from different regions of the world. This dataset also included environmental, physical, and management information to explore potential correlations with changes in soil organic carbon (SOC). Although all the AF practices provide a significant SOC gain in croplands, some practices did not provide the SOC rate needed to meet the annual increase required by the 4 per 1000 initiative for the Colombian context. These practices include alley cropping, agrisilviculture, shelterbelts, windbreaks, and riparian buffers. Another objective of my research was to evaluate the connection between soil C sequestration and financial benefits. The recent development of a Colombian Voluntary Carbon Market and the creation of a Carbon Tax have the potential to scale-up AF projects across the country and generate a significant number of greenhouse gas offsets. I evaluated the market value using the net present value (NPV) approach. I further explore the role that different interest rates, soil C sequestrations (low vs. high scenario), C prices, and duration of the AF project have on the GHG offset market value.