Boston, Massachusetts, USA
March 9, 2023
For the first time, farmers can participate in both carbon credit and sustainable crop programs on the same field over different years, maximizing income across crop rotations
Indigo Ag, the premier sustainability partner of the agriculture industry, today announced FieldFlex, a comprehensive suite of sustainable agriculture programs, designed to give farmers the freedom and flexibility to choose how they make money from their sustainability practices for every field, every year of their rotation.
FieldFlex includes multiple sustainability program options, delivered through agribusiness partners, including Carbon by Indigo and Market+ Source, Indigo Ag’s sustainable crop (scope 3) program. Until now, farmers could generate carbon credits though the adoption of sustainable practices on the farm and earn an additional revenue stream. However, they were limited in their ability to participate in a sustainable crop program where farmers are paid a premium. Through FieldFlex, farmers enrolled in Carbon by Indigo can have fields participate in a sustainable crop program instead of producing carbon credits, in any year of their crop rotation, without jeopardizing their eligibility for Carbon by Indigo. This enables them to capture maximum economic benefit while maintaining maximum flexibility.
Farmers that have been using sustainable practices in their operations for years and can’t add new sustainable practices can also make money from these practices through Indigo’s sustainable crop programs, where available. These programs connect them to companies looking to buy sustainably produced crops for a premium.
“This is refreshing for farmers. For the first time, we can choose which sustainability program will make us the most money for our sustainability efforts, while working with our local buyer,” said Ryan Brady, a farmer in SW Kansas. “I need flexibility for my operations year-to-year depending on a variety of factors. I’ve experienced a lot of success with the Carbon by Indigo program and having the option to sell my crop into a sustainable crop program without leaving the Carbon program or double counting is incredibly exciting and promising for us.”
Indigo has developed proprietary technology – available to our network of business and academic partners – that enables FieldFlex with the highest standards of scientific integrity. It meticulously tracks all field-level greenhouse gas emissions and removals and ensures that the environmental outcomes and benefits of each crop produced are only sold off the farm to one corporate customer, whether a carbon credit buyer or a buyer of sustainable crops. This is critical for meeting corporate demand for high-quality solutions that give business leaders confidence in their sustainability claims.
Enabling farmers to participate in multiple types of programs over a crop rotation, serving multiple corporate customers, also solves the “off years” challenge for downstream customers. By working with agribusiness partners around the production and sale of specific crops and environmental outcomes, Indigo enables corporate customers to access just the acres and crops they need, without having to fund sustainable practices on the crops they don’t. This opens the door for significant spending on sustainable crops, putting more money in the pockets of farmers and agribusiness partners.
FieldFlex builds on the success of Indigo’s carbon credit and sustainable crop programs. Carbon by Indigo is the first and only agricultural carbon program producing registry-issued carbon credits at market scale. With over 130,000 verified credits produced across two carbon crops, farmers have received nearly $5 million in payments for their carbon credit production. Indigo’s sustainable crop programs include rice, wheat, cotton, and others, and serve a top 5 global food company, top 5 global beverage company, and top 5 global retailer.
“We are proud to be the first in the industry to offer farmers choices in how they maximize their profits – with registry-issued carbon credits and high-quality sustainable crop programs – while maintaining our rigorous scientific standards,” said Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Indigo Ag. “As major corporations are racing toward net zero emissions, FieldFlex allows us to offer them verified carbon credits and scalable scope 3 programs to help reduce emissions in their supply chains. It’s a win for the farmer, agribusiness partners, corporate partners and the planet.”
Farmers interested in learning more can read about our Carbon by Indigo program and our sustainable crop programs, or contact their local Indigo partner.
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