Abstract

Global soil recarbonization represents a critical nature-based solution for climate change mitigation, food security enhancement, and sustainable development goal achievement. This comprehensive analysis evaluates soil organic carbon (SOC) management strategies across 287 long-term experimental sites spanning 45 countries to quantify recarbonization potential and implementation pathways. We examined diverse management practices including cover cropping, agroforestry, conservation tillage, organic amendments, and integrated systems across croplands (124 sites), grasslands (89 sites), forests (74 sites). Results demonstrate substantial recarbonization potential, with global soils capable of sequestering 2.8-5.1 Gt CO₂ annually through optimized management, representing 8-15% of current anthropogenic emissions. Cover cropping showed highest sequestration rates (1.2±0.4 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), followed by agroforestry (0.9±0.3 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) and conservation tillage (0.6±0.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Integrated management systems achieved synergistic effects with 67% higher sequestration than single practices. Economic analysis reveals net benefits of $125-340 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ through improved productivity, reduced input costs, and carbon market revenues. However, sequestration rates decline over time following logarithmic patterns, reaching 50% of initial rates after 15-20 years. Spatial analysis identifies 1.2 billion hectares of degraded agricultural land with high recarbonization potential, concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (34%), Asia (28%), and Latin America (23%). Climate change impacts may reduce sequestration efficiency by 12-18% by 2050, emphasizing the need for adaptive management strategies. Barriers include economic constraints (cited by 67% of farmers), technical knowledge gaps (54%), and policy limitations (41%). Success factors encompass supportive policies, technical assistance, market incentives, and community engagement. This analysis demonstrates that strategic SOC management can contribute significantly to global climate goals while delivering co-benefits for agriculture, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods, requiring coordinated international efforts and sustained investment for large-scale implementation.