Leading global carbon project developer and climate solutions provider South Pole has entered into a partnership agreement with agricultural technology company eAgronom to promote the adoption of climate-smart agriculture in Europe, Africa and other parts of the world. For farmers, participating in the carbon programme will mean the opportunity to sell generated carbon credits to companies worldwide, receive advance payments for high-quality Verra -certified carbon credits, and gain immediate support in implementing sustainable farming practices.
Nauris Liberts, head of eAgronom in Latvia, points out that one of the main ways to reduce emissions is the implementation of climate-smart agriculture. “Motivating farmers to change farming practices that they have accepted for decades is a major challenge. Significant initial investment is required to move towards sustainable agriculture, and changes must be implemented in the agricultural production system. These are all major barriers for many farmers who want to transition to more nature-friendly farming. Access to additional funding and agronomic support is a key prerequisite for this transition to take place,” says N. Liberts.
eAgronom new carbon programme introduces a concept where advance payments are made now for carbon credits that participation in the project will generate in the future. “According to current standards, it can take several years until the first payments for carbon credits are received, and that is too long a payback period for most farmers. eAgronom carbon credit advance payment mechanism removes this barrier to entry and allows farmers to join the programme now, increase soil organic matter content, improve its structure, and move towards better yields, while also contributing to environmental issues,” explains N. Liberts.
Mārtiņš Štāls, owner of the “Dižavoti” farm in Rugāji parish, is one of the first participants in the eAgronom carbon programme in Latvia. Regarding his choice to participate in the programme, he states: “I read about carbon credits in a magazine, I was drawn to the passive income for the farm, and it turns out my farm can receive additional support. We operate using minimum tillage, we plan crop rotation and sowing structure, but eAgronom is a company that offers to certify the carbon sequestered in the soil and sell it on as carbon credits. I also applied for the advance payment and have already received half of the total sum. At the moment, I am still gaining experience, and my farm is only just gaining momentum.”
South Pole CEO Renat Heuberger (Renat Heuberger) acknowledges that carbon credits from climate-smart agriculture projects provide not only emission reductions but also many benefits for society and the environment, which is essential at a time when our food system is facing unprecedented challenges. “We look forward to leading a programme that will channel funds from the voluntary carbon market to hundreds of sustainable farmers. These compensations are already forcing the private sector to take climate action as they work on their long-term decarbonisation strategies,” explains R. Heuberger regarding the carbon credit market.
Regarding the established partnership, he says: “By participating in the eAgronom carbon programme, farmers create certified carbon credits for which they can receive advance payments to support sustainable practices, such as implementing smart crop rotation and reducing mechanical soil cultivation. In this partnership, South Pole will manage credit certification, buyer engagement, and sales, using its position as a market leader in the industry and its local presence in 34 countries worldwide. eAgronom, in turn, is focusing on farmer engagement, technology, and support for farmers.”
eAgronom is the only organisation in Central and Eastern Europe to have launched a project aiming for the prestigious Verified Carbon Standard Verra certification, and it is already making advance payments to farmers for the carbon credits generated. To date, 130 farms are participating in the project with nearly 100,000 hectares of arable land, which, by increasing soil organic carbon while simultaneously reducing emissions (N2O; CO2, CH4) and input costs associated with fertilisers and fossil fuel use, will generate annual carbon-related co-benefits of 0.5 to 1.5 t CO2-e per hectare.
Access to carbon financing is not only beneficial for farmers and the agricultural sector but also helps to introduce and accelerate climate-smart farming practices in an industry that generates 17% of carbon emissions globally. High-quality carbon credits are also an effective tool that allows companies to take action and take responsibility for their unavoidable emissions now, while they work on science-based decarbonisation on the path to net-zero emissions. By purchasing carbon credits, a company puts a price on its carbon footprint. This makes carbon credits an effective decision-making tool for financing and accelerating climate action.
About eAgronom:
eAgronom is an Estonian startup founded in 2016. eAgronom offers farm management software for farmers, which facilitates both daily farm management and long-term strategic planning. eAgronom entered the Latvian market in 2017, and it is currently used to manage more than 160,000 hectares of agricultural land in Latvia and over a million hectares of agricultural land across Europe.
About South Pole:
South Pole is one of the leading developers of carbon credit projects and has provided climate finance to nearly 1,000 projects in over 50 countries to reduce CO2 emissions by more than a gigatonne and provide social benefits to underprivileged communities, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change.