Can Indian food help slow global warming?

Can Indian food slow global warming? 
Nandan Kalle

OK, stay with me here.

Regenerative farming is the system of agriculture that invests in soil health, combining the practices of no-till, cover crops and managed grazing.

---

Cover crops are planted near harvest time, and keep the soil covered during the off-season after the cash crops have been harvested. The best cover crops are nitrogen-fixing plants such as legumes.

Which includes lentils.

Civil Eats writes, "Plant-Based Diets and Regenerative Ag Have Sparked a Pea and Lentil Renaissance" (February 18, 2020).

However lentils, known as dal, have been a staple of the Indian diet for centuries. An efficient source of protein, dal is enjoyed by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

Renaissance? Lentils never went through a Dark Age in India.

An opportunity for a second cash crop- but one which puts nitrogen back into the soil, reduces soil erosion, and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
​
So next time you're in an Indian restaurant, order the Dal Makhni and enjoy - you are contributing to the regenerative economy.