Pakistan, Nov. 2 -- In a major shift for the country's farming economy, Pakistan is moving to turn soil restoration and climate-friendly farming into an economic opportunity by tapping global carbon markets. The initiative could create a new revenue stream for small farmers while improving soil health, strengthening climate resilience and reducing dependence on imported chemical fertilizers. This soil-restoration plan addresses a quiet crisis across Pakistan's farmlands. Decades of heavy chemical use and intensive farming have depleted soil life, reducing organic matter in cultivated fields to around one percent or less.

This degradation leaves crops vulnerable to climate shocks, including heatwaves and floods, while trapping small farme...