Breeding for high-carbon crops to achieve dual purposes of food security and carbon neutrality

The dual challenges of climate change and food security call for innovative solutions that simultaneously enhance crop yields and promote soil carbon sequestration. Here, we propose a paradigm shift in crop breeding toward the development of “high-carbon crops”—cultivars that couple high productivity with enhanced soil carbon input and stabilization, contributing to climate mitigation rather than increased carbon emissions. We begin by evaluating progress in breeding crops for yield and biomass-related traits, with a particular emphasis on the largely untapped potential of belowground biomass. We discuss whether this decoupling between yield improvement and root growth is inevitable or if it can be overcome through breeding. We then present a trait-based framework for developing “high-carbon crops” by integrating aboveground (e.g. photosynthetic efficiency and carbon partitioning) and belowground traits (e.g. root size, architecture, exudation and lignin content). While shoot biomass contributes to soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation when residues are retained, empirical evidence highlights the crucial role of root traits in long-term carbon stabilization. At a given level of carbon input, breeding for deeper roots, enhanced exudation, and more recalcitrant biochemical composition can substantially improve the efficiency of SOC accumulation. By aligning yield-oriented breeding with carbon-optimizing traits, we advocate a win-win strategy for sustainable agriculture that achieves both food security and carbon neutrality.