What is the role of land-use intensification?
The challenge of terrestrial carbon is to increase production of food, fibre, and fuel and maintain and create more terrestrial carbon. Historically, more production has meant less native vegetation and less terrestrial carbon. This does not have to be the case. In the mid-term, land-use intensification can provide the world with more food, fibre, and fuel and more terrestrial carbon. For example, in the case of South American livestock, current grazing densities (about 1 head / hectare) could be tripled or quadrupled with current technology. Even healthy agro-industry builds up soil carbon stocks.
