Importance of Breakthrough
ESMC’s Eco-Harvest market program is an end-to-end digitized and advanced technology program and platform to generate high quality, third-party verified credits for soil carbon removals, avoided and reduced greenhouse gases and water impacts from US farms.
Details about this breakthrough
In 2019, ESMC received a grant of $10.3 million from FFAR for the research needed to develop this market program. ESMC and its members matched the grant to fund research and development projects and programming in the public-private partnership for a total investment of $20.6 million.
ESMC generates and sells credits for increased soil carbon, reduced greenhouse gases and improved water quality from agricultural production systems. Eco-Harvest’s outcomes-based program generates high-demand credits that meet the needs of corporate agricultural supply chain partners in the US. ESMC’s unique supply chain and public-private partnership business model allows for member co-investment and cooperation at scale, while recognizing and rewarding producers for the public benefits resulting from environmental stewardship on private lands.
With the program launch, ESMC is targeting up to 500,000 acres enrollment. Current Eco-Harvest market program regions include the Midwest Corn and Soy Belt, the Northern Great Plains, the Southern Great Plains and the Great Lakes regions. Production systems included in launch include corn, soy, wheat and alfalfa cropping systems. Producers pay no fees and do not have to purchase subscriptions or inputs to participate. For more information on Eco-Harvest, visit www.ecosystemservicesmarket.org/eco-harvest.