Farmers are being invited to enter Agreena’s soil carbon programme for harvest year 2024.
More than one million hectares have been registered with the programme and AgreenaCarbon has already paid European farmers more than €6 million, with UK farmers earning €36 per carbon certificate from their regenerative farming practices.
AgreenaCarbon, is Europe’s largest soil carbon platform supporting farmers finance their transition to regenerative practices, the programme is now opening its fourth year.
“Through regenerative practices — such as no-till, min-till, and the growing of cover crops — farmers can play a key role in the delivery of climate mitigation services and have an extremely powerful seat at the climate change table. Farmers need to be financially rewarded for providing these vital services and AgreenaCarbon does just that,” notes Agreena’s Niels Vittrup.
The programme sees farmers agree to undertake a range of measures, such as optimal use of cover crops and reduced soil disturbance. Agreena’s internationally accredited and third-party validated programme quantifies the farm’s greenhouse gas reductions and carbon removals and issues the verified CO2e certificates. Farmers can keep the certificates, trade them on the voluntary carbon market (VCM), or let Agreena sell them on their behalf. An early payout option is also available for farmers, with funding provided by Agreena before certificates are issued.
“Farmers in the UK are facing unprecedented challenges, including economic and political uncertainty, changing weather patterns, and the reduction and eventual disappearance of the Basic Payment Scheme. AgreenaCarbon provides a vital additional income for farmers, ensuring their businesses are both profitable and environmentally sustainable,” adds Agreena’s UK market lead, Thomas Gent. “We now have numerous UK farmers who have earned €36 per carbon certificate from the 2022 harvest, and many more are about to benefit from the 2023 harvest.”
Agreena’s carbon certificates follow an IPCC-aligned rigorous scientific methodology and the world’s leading certification standards for ensuring carbon is removed. The company’s leading remote sensing MRV technology allows it to continuously monitor, verify and report on-farm practices and outcomes.
The integrity of Agreena’s approach to carbon farming was a significant factor in encouraging Nottinghamshire farmer, John Miller, to join the programme:
“One of the main reasons I joined the Agreena soil carbon programme in 2021 was that I thought it was the most credible option and whose carbon certificates would actually provide me with additional revenue at the end of harvest. This is key as the voluntary carbon market continues to grow and evolve and I have confidence that Agreena will maintain its leadership position in this marketplace.”
