Analysis of potentials of greenhouse gas emissions reduction and soil carbon sequestration in organic agriculture

Global warming due to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is one of the most serious environmental issues. From the perspectives of CO₂, N₂O and CH₄ emissions in agriculture, this paper reviewed several studies and compared conventional and organic agriculture performance in the light of GHG emissions and soil carbon sequestration. Compared to conventional agriculture, there were less energy demand, high CO₂ abatement and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in organic agriculture with large scale adoption. However, the potential of soil carbon sequestration is not unlimited from a long-term point of view. Further researches on effective carbon sequestration and the potential of organic agriculture to reduce GHG emissions should be conducted. Based on this review, it is necessary to conduct research on reducing GHG emissions and increasing soil organic carbon sequestration in China’s organic agriculture.