By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media
Farmland LP and Carbon Friendly are charting new territory in U.S. agriculture’s carbon economy. The partners have submitted what they describe as the nation’s first measured regenerative farming carbon credits to Verra, a nonprofit registry responsible for over 50 percent of the market’s carbon credits, for issuance, a move that could set a benchmark for verifiable, farm-based removals in the voluntary market. Verra is a nonprofit standards body behind the Verified Carbon Standard, widely used in voluntary markets to certify greenhouse-gas reductions and removals.
Verified under Verra’s VM0042 methodology, these credits come from targeted investments in regenerative practices on certified organic and regenerative farmland during 2023–2024. According to the announcement, “The completed review was submitted to Verra in October for final approval and issuance of carbon credits.” At the foundation is a measured, not modeled approach in which soils are sampled at the same GPS-fixed points each year to quantify actual increases in soil carbon. Alongside the carbon gains, the projects report additional on-farm benefits such as improved soil health and greater biodiversity.
Early verified credits will be available for purchase in the voluntary carbon market shortly after Verra’s issuance, with the duo eyeing 2 million to 5 million verified, nature-based carbon removals over the next decade from regenerative farming projects on existing assets as well as fresh projects.
Farmland LP Managing Partner Craig Wichner stated, “Farmland LP’s strategy has always been to align ecological value with financial return. With this first submission to Verra, we are turning regenerative agriculture into a verifiable climate solution that will generate millions of high-quality nature-based removals over the coming decade. This milestone demonstrates the potential for regenerative farming to deliver both ecological and economic value at scale.”
Carbon Friendly CEO Francois Visser commented, “Verra’s approval process demands the highest levels of rigor, and this submission proves that regenerative agriculture can meet that bar. Partnering with Farmland LP allows us to bring scientific credibility and market transparency to soil carbon credits at scale, providing corporate buyers with the confidence they need to invest in durable, ‘Ground Truth’ climate solutions.”
These credits are intended to represent more than carbon math to include real changes on real farms. Farmland LP has been steadily bolstering its holdings under Fund III, which remains open for commitments through year-end 2025, drawing in investors eager for a foothold in regenerative farmland’s promise of yields and carbon payoffs. Recent highlights include a strategic joint venture with Stemilt Growers, encompassing nearly 1,000 acres of apples and cherries in Washington’s Columbia Basin, a move that injects fresh crop diversity into the mix.
Complementing these are earlier acquisitions, including the 1,184-acre Riverwood Farm in Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley, and 2,625 acres spread across three prime properties in California’s San Joaquin Delta. These assets swell the platform’s footprint to over 4,700 acres, readying it for production while amplifying regenerative impacts that could redefine returns in an increasingly climate-conscious ag landscape.
Carbon Friendly focuses on nature-based carbon solutions, pairing solid science with a real emphasis on farmers to make regenerative agriculture something measurable and reliable. Started by a team of environmental and ag experts, the company develops high-quality soil carbon projects in spots like Australia, the U.S., and Africa, nudging growers toward practices such as cover cropping, no-till farming, and organic additions that restore worn-out soils, support biodiversity and store carbon over the long haul.
Drawing on more than 1,200 greenhouse gas assessments and expertise in Verra standards, they stress full transparency through annual, on-site soil sampling, shifting from market projections to concrete, verified outcomes. Over three-quarters of the revenue goes directly back to farmers, helping spark new on-farm ideas and providing stable earnings in an industry that can be challenged by tight margins and unpredictable weather. Separately, after a two-year probe, Verra ruled most credits from a flagship Zimbabwe forest project as tarnished, undermining offset claims by brands like Volkswagen, Gucci and Nestlé, according to a Bloomberg report.
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