This document summarizes research on the effects of conservation agriculture practices on soil carbon levels. It finds that while conservation agriculture can increase soil carbon concentration in surface layers, the increases in total soil carbon stocks are generally small and unlikely to significantly contribute to climate change mitigation. However, retaining crop residues in areas where residue burning occurs, such as the Indo-Gangetic Plains, offers a meaningful way to sequester soil carbon. For large-scale implementation of initiatives to sequester carbon in soils, major increases in nitrogen fertilizer production or nitrogen fixation would be required to support the additional biomass growth needed.