Land use practices for net-zero: an overview

Achieving net-zero agriculture and land use is a critical strategy for mitigating climate change while ensuring global food security. This review underscores the pivotal role of sustainable practices, future trends, and collaborative strategies in the transformation of agriculture into a low-emission, climate-resilient system. Key practices that have been identified as effective in this regard include conservation tillage, crop diversification, agroforestry, organic farming and precision irrigation. These practices have been shown to improve soil health, promote carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The integration of renewable energy sources, precision agriculture techniques and digital monitoring tools represent pivotal advancements in agricultural technology, with the potential to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. However, widespread adoption of these practices is impeded by economic, technical and policy-related barriers. Addressing these challenges necessitates augmented investment in research and development, customised solutions catering to local contexts, and enhanced collaboration among researchers, farmers and policy makers. Future research priorities should include the development of climate-resilient crop varieties, the development of advanced soil monitoring systems, the development of low-emission livestock systems and the improvement of water management. The promotion of sustainable practices at scale will be significantly supported by policies, financial incentives and capacity building initiatives. The final point is that achieving net-zero agriculture will require a holistic approach that combines technological innovation, policy support and community engagement. With sustained effort, agriculture has the potential to become a sustainable system that reduces emissions, enhances biodiversity, restores ecosystems and builds resilience to future climate challenges. This review examines key strategies, focusing on their contributions to reducing emissions, improving soil health and enhancing biodiversity. The application of these strategies is pivotal in the transformation of agricultural systems into effective mitigation and adaptation solutions for achieving net-zero climate change.