Basel, 27. October 2020 - Indigo Agriculture, a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet, has welcomed the publication of the first methodology suited for European agriculture to quantify greenhouse gas emission reductions and enhanced soil organic carbon storage resulting from the adoption of improved farm management practices.
The Methodology for Improved Agricultural Land Management is a new Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology released by Verra, a global leader providing gold-standard certifications for sustainability projects, that will enable growers in Germany and across Europe to earn income from carbon credits.
Improved farm management practices include reductions in tillage and the use of synthetic inputs; water and residue management; the planting of cover crops; livestock management and grazing; and crop rotations. These practices can improve soil health and the resilience of farms to climate change as well as reduce emissions and increase the storage of soil organic carbon.
The methodology has been developed and approved following extensive input from scientists, agricultural carbon experts, auditors and project developers. In-depth feedback was provided by both public and private stakeholders during an open 30-day public comment period. In addition, the methodology was also subject to a thorough third-party validation by Aster Global Environmental Solutions, one of the world’s leading providers of greenhouse gas validation and verification services.
Commenting on the publication, Georg Goeres, Head of Indigo Agriculture Europe, said: “We strongly believe in the potential of agriculture practices to improve the health of famers’ soil and their bottom line as well as the planet. We are already exploring the potential of these practices through our pilot with Wasa and winter cereal growers in Germany.
We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with Verra and leading scientific experts to develop this rigorous methodology, which will be the first of its kind suited to Europe, enabling growers to earn additional income from carbon farming. It should also generate confidence for EU and German policy makers looking to develop carbon farming markets as well as companies who want to purchase verified agricultural carbon credits through Indigo. Together, this will support the transition to a farming system that is more beneficial for people and the planet”.
More information on the Verra VCS program:
https://verra.org/project/vcs-program
About Indigo Agriculture
Indigo Ag improves grower profitability, environmental sustainability, and consumer health through the use of natural microbiology and digital technologies. The company’s scientific discoveries and digital platforms benefit tens of thousands of growers across millions of acres. Working across the supply chain, Indigo Ag is furthering its mission of harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. In 2019, Indigo Ag hosted the inaugural Beneficial Ag cross-stakeholder event to cultivate a growing community around the notion that agriculture can be more beneficial for people and planet, and launched Indigo Carbon - a program that pays growers to reduce on-farm emissions, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and improve soil health. Ranked #1 on CNBC’s Disruptor 50 list in 2019, Indigo Ag is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN; Research Triangle Park, NC; South America; and Basel, Switzerland.
For further information on our pilot partnership with Wasa and winter cereal growers in Germany: www.indigoag.eu/wasapartnership
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