permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

The Carbon Farming Solution: A Global Toolkit of Perennial Crops and
Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Climate Change Mitigation and Food
Security: Eric Toensmeier, Dr. Hans Herren: 9781603585712: Amazon.com: Books
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1603585710?redirect=true&ref_=pe_2427140_167990420_nrn_title

Agriculture is rightly blamed as a major culprit of our climate crisis. But
in this groundbreaking new book, Eric Toensmeier argues that
agriculture―specifically, the subset of practices known as “carbon
farming”―can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions
platform.

Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that
sequester carbon in the soil and in aboveground biomass. Combined with a
massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions―and in concert with adaptation
strategies to our changing environment― carbon farming has the potential to
bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the
“magic number” of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier’s
book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place,
including in-depth analysis of the available research and, where research
is lacking, a discussion of what it will take to get us there.

Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve
modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these
modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely
applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to
mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing
systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don’t require
significant changes to human diet, and―given the amount of agricultural
land worldwide that is devoted to pasture―can be important strategies in
the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and
perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While
many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would
require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial
crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored
by climate crusaders.

Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on
a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts,
but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while
fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity,
and repairing degraded land―all while sequestering carbon, reducing
emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain
amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future,
these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as
women’s empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice.

*The Carbon Farming Solution* does not present a prescription for how
cropland should be used and is not, first and foremost, a how-to manual,
although following up on references in a given section will frequently
provide such information. Instead, The Carbon Farming Solution is―at its
root―a toolkit. It is the most complete collection of climate-friendly
crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers,
communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch
carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to
their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs.

Toensmeier’s ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center
of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy.
With *The Carbon Farming Solution*, Toensmeier wants to change the
discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the
research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where
agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and
unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be
inspired to use the tools presented in this important new book to transform
degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes.

Website: carbonfarmingsolution.com


Editorial Reviews Review

*Library Journal-*

"Toensmeier (*Perennial Vegetables*) contends that shifting agricultural
practices can help mitigate climate change and advocates for carbon
farming, i.e., using a suite of perennial crops and practices that
simultaneously seclude carbon in the soil while maintaining the amounts of
crops needed globally for food, materials, and energy. The author
delineates the different types of systems that are best at sequestering
carbon and also provides strategies for livestock management, supplying
general information on practices such as rainwater harvesting and terrace
farming that will help guarantee the successful implementation of this type
of farming. A large section is devoted to perennial crops that Toensmeier
maintains would be strong candidates for carbon farming. *VERDICT:* Both
small- and large-scale farmers will find ways to apply methods that
segregate carbon and therefore lessen the deleterious effects of climate
change in this comprehensive title.”


“Agriculture is currently a major net producer of greenhouse gases, with
little prospect of improvement unless things change markedly. In *The
Carbon Farming Solution*, Eric Toensmeier puts carbon sequestration at the
forefront and shows how agriculture can be a net absorber of carbon.
Improved forms of annual-based agriculture can help to a degree; however to
maximize carbon sequestration, it is perennial crops we must look at,
whether it be perennial grains, other perennial staples, or agroforestry
systems incorporating trees and other crops. In this impressive book,
backed up with numerous tables and references, the author has assembled a
toolkit that will be of great use to anybody involved in agriculture
whether in the tropics or colder northern regions. For me the highlights
are the chapters covering perennial crop species organized by use―staple
crops, protein crops, oil crops, industrial crops, etc.―with some seven
hundred species described. There are crops here for all climate types, with
good information on cultivation and yields, so that wherever you are, you
will be able to find suitable recommended perennial crops. This is an
excellent book that gives great hope without being naïve and makes a clear
reasoned argument for a more perennial-based agriculture to both feed
people and take carbon out of the air.”*--Martin Crawford, director, The
Agroforestry Research Trust; author of Creating a Forest Garden and Trees
for Gardens, Orchards, and Permaculture *


“Scientific observations and models are building an increasingly dire
picture of the obstacles that must be crossed on the road to achieving
climate and ecological health and stability on a planet filled with
humans. The relentlessly hopeful (but not naively optimistic) author of *The
Carbon Farming Solution* reminds us that our planet is still rich in
biological resources and that humanity is capable of astonishing feats of
creativity and collaborative action; the picture painted here in word and
image depicts both the barriers and paths through them. Eric Toensmeier
draws upon both the scientific literature and the world’s ethnobotanical
knowledge bank to construct a logical and compelling road map for future
research and investment to reinvent agriculture. But reason and facts alone
are insufficient to sustain a global and long-term agenda; passion is
required. In the end, it is the perennial plants (and their human and
microbial partners) themselves―lovingly portrayed here in their glorious
diversity and elegant functionality―that steal the show and our
hearts. This ‘Who’s Who’ of wild or orphaned potential crops can inspire a
new generation of plant lovers and gardeners to become the
convention-questioning, dedicated, passionate, hopeful scientists, farmers,
and leaders that the movement requires.”*--David Van Tassel, PhD, senior
scientist, The Land Institute*


“These are exciting times for soil carbon! What was once an obscure topic
mainly of interest to agronomists and gardeners is now viewed by many
people as a key to solving multiple challenges in the 21st century,
including climate change, hunger, and drought. For urgent times, we need an
urgent agriculture. That’s exactly what we get in Eric Toensmeier’s new
book―a detailed, practical explanation of how to increase carbon in our
soils, written with passion and skill by a leader in regenerative
agriculture. We know what to do, and with *The Carbon Farming Solution* we
know how to do it. Let’s get going!"*--Courtney White, author of Grass,
Soil, Hope and Two Percent Solutions for the Planet*


“Eric Toensmeier has done it again! *The Carbon Farming Solution* is
a detailed vision that will become the go-to reference guide for everyone
who is interested in an accessible toolkit showcasing global agroecological
carbon farming in action. This indispensable book needs to be put in the
hands of all climate-change policy makers, agrarians, and people who eat
food, drink water, and breathe air. Mr. Toensmeier’s book is not
*ground-breaking―*it is *ground-healing!*”*--Brock Dolman, director,
Permaculture Program and WATER Institute at Occidental Arts and Ecology
Center*


“*The* *Carbon Farming Solution* is a book we will look back upon decades
from now and wonder why something so critically relevant could have been so
overlooked until that time. We are told we have a choice between
chemical/GMO agriculture if we want to feed the world, or we can see
children starve and adopt organic agriculture as a romantic and sentimental
pursuit. Really? Toensmeier describes a future that is in alignment with
how life works, a scientific and sophisticated agricultural understanding
of husbandry and biology that surpasses the productivity of industrial
agriculture. What is phenomenal about these land-use solutions is that they
are the only way we can bring carbon back home if we are to reverse climate
change. The title is accurate but humble: *The* *Carbon Farming
Solution* describes
the foundation of the future of civilization.”*--Paul Hawken, author
of Blessed Unrest*


“Eric Toensmeier presents a convincing argument that carbon farming is
crucial to addressing global issues of the 21st century including climate
change, food and nutritional insecurity, eutrophication and contamination
of water, and dwindling of soil biodiversity. Implemented in a transparent
manner and with payments of just and fair price based on the true societal
value, carbon farming is also pertinent to alleviating poverty and
addressing several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
Carbon farming as a strategy is in accord with the “4 pour 1000” initiative
of the French Government presented during the COP-21 Summit in Paris on
December 1, 2015 and *The Carbon Farming Solution* is a befitting tribute
to the 2015 International Year of Soils.”*--Dr. Rattan Lal, Distinguished
University Professor of Soil Science and director of The Carbon Management
and Sequestration Center, The Ohio State University; President Elect,
International Union of Soil Sciences*


“*The* *Carbon Farming Solution *is a book whose time has come. This
detailed documentation of regenerative practices from around the world,
including principles and methods, provides a practical guide for others to
follow and expand upon as humanity takes on the ‘Great Work of Our Time’―to
restore the Earth’s natural systems to ecological health.* The Carbon
Farming Solution *is of enormous importance.”*--John D. Liu, founder and
director, Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP)*


“If we seriously put our minds to it, we could easily provide ourselves
with enough food, forever; and do so in ecologically sound ways; and at the
same time―a huge bonus!―trap enough carbon in the soil to tip the battle
against global warming. The methods are those of agroecology―including
organic farming in general, and permaculture in particular; and as Eric
Toensmeier excellently describes, farmers worldwide are already on the
case. So this book offers what governments at present spectacularly do not:
*hope*.”*--Colin Tudge, author of Good Food for Everyone Forever and Why
Genes Are Not Selfish and People Are Nice*


“Eric Toensmeier has done a hugely impressive job putting together this 
*magnum
opus*. It is packed with an enormous amount of information about seven
hundred plant species that have a role to play in saving the planet from
land degradation and climate change, while at the same time improving the
lives of millions of poor farmers, especially in the tropics and
sub-tropics. *The Carbon Farming Solution* covers species for every use and
every situation that can be assembled in infinite agroecological
combinations. On top of that, the cultivation of these crops can lead to
new industries in the production of food, medicines, cosmetics, and
materials―creating wealth and employment. This information should be
absorbed by everyone engaged in agriculture; everyone concerned about the
future of the world and the well-being and health of its people; and
everyone interested in protecting biodiversity. Indeed, *The Carbon
Farming Solution* offers a path to a bright new world!”*--Professor Roger
Leakey, vice chairman of the International Tree Foundation and author
of Living with the Trees of Life*


“Eric Toensmeier is one of North America’s most inventive and
scientifically-minded permaculture experimenters. In this book, he offers
nothing less than a new vision for world agriculture that is more
resilient, supports traditional farmers, and also helps relieve the global
climate crisis. *The Carbon Farming Solution* offers an encyclopedic but
also highly readable view of new and old carbon-trapping farming methods
that can be applied around the world, and a profile of the highly
adaptable, soil-enhancing perennial plant species that may just be the key
to a livable human future.”*--Brian Tokar, director of the Institute for
Social Ecology and author of Toward Climate Justice: Perspectives on the
Climate Crisis and Social Change*


“*The Carbon Farming Solution* is an excellent reference book that
convincingly explains the potential of farming practices based on perennial
crops for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation and
adaptation. The numerous photographs and charts included help illustrate
the food-security and multi-functionality attributes of agroforestry and
other such farming systems. In addition to professionals who work on food
security and climate stabilization issues, undergraduate and graduate
students of these topics will find the book useful.”*--Dr. P. K.
Ramachandran Nair, Distinguished Professor in the School of Forest
Resources and Conservation, University of Florida*


“Dealing with climate change requires action on many fronts, and this book
is the toolkit for making the soil itself a sponge for carbon. It’s a
powerful vision, one that I’ve seen playing out in enough places to make me
very hopeful it can presage major changes in our species’ use of the
land.”*--Bill
McKibben, author of Deep Economy*


“In *The Carbon Farming Solution*, Eric Toensmeier admirably harnesses
available data with traditional wisdom to propose a practical response to
climate change. Toensmeier’s solution-oriented ideas combine his clear
understanding of ecology, agriculture, and the magnitude of the challenge
we face with a set of agriculture-based solutions that are suited to
various livelihoods, communities, and systems of production. This book will
surely be a benchmark in policy-relevant knowledge.”*--Dr. Cheikh Mbow,
senior scientist on climate change and development, World Agroforestry
Centre*
About the Author

Eric Toensmeier is the award-winning author of *Paradise Lot* and *Perennial
Vegetables*, and the co-author of *Edible Forest Gardens*. Eric is an
appointed lecturer at Yale University, a Senior Fellow with Project
Drawdown, and an international trainer. He presents in English and Spanish
throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean.
Eric has studied useful perennial plants and their roles in agroforestry
systems for over two decades, and cultivates about 300 species in his urban
garden. His writing can be viewed online at perennialsolutions.org.
Biography
Eric Toensmeier has studied and practiced permaculture since 1990. He has
spent much of his adult life exploring edible and useful plants of the
world and their use in perennial agroecosystems. He is the author of
Perennial Vegetables and co-author of Edible Forest Gardens with Dave
Jacke. Both books have received multiple awards. Eric ran an urban farm
project for Nuestras Raíces in Holyoke Massachusetts, providing access to
land for Latino and refugee beginning farmers and serving as a cultural
agritourism destination. His urban homestead is a model of how to apply
permaculture to a small space with poor soils. Eric is fluent in English,
Spanish, and Botanical Latin, and has taught permaculture and food forestry
in Spanish in Mexico and Guatemala. His writings, videos and more can be
viewed at www.perennialsolutions.org.
Product Details

   - *Hardcover:* 512 pages
   - *Publisher:* Chelsea Green Publishing (February 22, 2016)
   - *Language:* English
   - *ISBN-10:* 1603585710
   - *ISBN-13:* 978-1603585712
   - *Shipping Weight:* 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies
   
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