AgriCapture, an agricultural technology company based in Nashville, has made history by being issued the first-ever avoided grasslands conversion carbon credits in Texas. This achievement was made possible through a partnership with the property’s landowner and the Texas Agricultural Land Trust. The project aims to protect soil carbon and ensure that the property’s native grasslands will not be converted, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
The credits were issued by the Climate Action Reserve (CAR), a globally trusted carbon market offset registry. They were awarded to a ranch located in Bailey County, situated in the High Plains of the Texas Panhandle. This area is recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a New Dust Bowl Zone, where preserving native grassland habitats and preventing land use conversion is of utmost importance.
“We are proud to deliver the first avoided grasslands conversion carbon credits in the history of the state of Texas and thrilled that AgriCapture’s programs will unlock significant value for Texas landowners,” says Kam Kronenberg, AgriCapture Board Member and Texas landowner.
AgriCapture was established by a group of agriculture specialists, passionate environmentalists, and economists to combat climate change through sustainable agriculture. The company verifies Climate-Friendly agricultural practices on farms, ranches, and grasslands to track environmental benefits and boost profitability for agricultural partners across the country.
The AgriCapture project dedicated to avoiding grasslands conversion aims to protect native grasslands and ranches from being converted to cropland. By doing so, the land can naturally sequester carbon and prevent agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To generate carbon credits, AgriCapture collects detailed data on soil types, vegetative cover, land use history, and ranch operations. This information gets submitted for registry verification and credit issuance under CAR’s Grasslands Protocol. The AgriCapture team quantifies avoided GHG emissions and closely monitors ranch operations to protect underground carbon storage.
The Texas Agricultural Land Trust (TALT) partnered with AgriCapture on the Bailey County project and holds the conservation easement that will protect the land from conversion or development. The easement contains provisions that make the property eligible to receive carbon credits for sequestering and storing soil carbon, as well as eliminating emissions associated with crop production.
“We believe this bellwether project could result in future carbon credit revenue streams for agricultural landowners in Texas and beyond,” said Chad Ellis, CEO of TALT. “We are excited about what these new carbon markets will mean for working lands families, and we look forward to sharing our learning with landowners as this project progresses.”
Native grasslands, despite constant threats of development and conversion to cropland, play a crucial role in providing wildlife habitat, filtering water, and sequestering carbon. They naturally sequester over a third of land-based carbon. Grasslands conservation carbon credits incentivize landowners to protect underground carbon storage within their grasslands. Corporate supporters of the Avoided Grasslands Conversion Project will have the opportunity to offset their company’s GHG emissions while simultaneously preserving disappearing native grasslands.
AgriCapture’s achievement in receiving the first-ever grasslands conservation carbon credits in Texas sets a significant precedent for future projects and highlights the potential for carbon credit revenue streams for agricultural landowners in the state. It also underscores the importance of preserving native grasslands as a crucial component of climate change mitigation efforts and the protection of our environment.
AgriCapture is a leading agricultural technology company that empowers farmers and landowners to identify and implement climate-friendly practices while capturing value for their positive climate impact. Through rigorous data collection and monitoring of field operations, AgriCapture generates carbon credits and offers Climate-Friendly Rice products. By providing farmers, ranchers, and landowners with the tools to monetize their carbon sequestration and emission reductions, AgriCapture enables them to conserve natural resources while increasing profitability.
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