Lovely Professional University (LPU), one of India’s leading institutions renowned for its emphasis on innovation and research excellence, has received an ₹80 lakh research grant from the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Education, Government of India. The four-year longitudinal study, titled “Carbon Credit Adoption in Agriculture: An Empirical and Longitudinal Study of Mitigation Potential and Farmer Readiness in Punjab and Haryana,” aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices and address the sector’s growing greenhouse gas emissions.

Led by Dr Mandeep Bhardwaj, Dr Avtar Singh, Dr Sapna Jarial, and Dr Parveen Kumar, the research will engage 700–800 farmers across ten districts in Punjab and Haryana. Through field surveys, collaborations with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and government agencies, the study will assess farm-level carbon footprints, estimate emission reductions, and develop a Carbon Readiness Index (CRI) to gauge farmers’ preparedness for carbon credit participation.

Despite the introduction of climate-resilient technologies such as Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), Happy Seeder, and zero tillage, adoption has remained limited due to a lack of structured incentives linked to carbon markets. With the global voluntary carbon market exceeding USD 2 billion in 2023, the study seeks to explore pathways for agricultural participation in this growing sector.

The project will also identify scalable institutional models—such as FPO-led collectives—to facilitate carbon credit aggregation and trading. By integrating satellite data, fertiliser use, and yield records, LPU’s research team aims to generate district-level models that connect economic viability with environmental sustainability.

Expected to contribute valuable insights to India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 2: Zero Hunger), this initiative positions Punjab and Haryana as potential frontrunners in India’s agri-carbon transition—linking farmers to the emerging global carbon economy.

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