Agreena Signs Record 4.4 Million Ton Sustainable Farming-Based Carbon Removal Deal

Agriculture-focused carbon platform Agreena announced it has secured a seven-year agreement with one of the world’s largest commodity trading houses for the purchase of 4.45 million tonnes of carbon credits over seven years from a project focused on supporting farmers in transitioning to regenerative agriculture.

The deal marks the largest publicly communicated agreement signed to date in agricultural carbon, and one of the longest-dated commitments made in a soil carbon project.

Agreena highlighted the long-term nature of the agreement, noting that while spot deals in the carbon market continue to increase in number and size, buyers needing volume at scale are increasingly contracting years ahead of issuance, requiring agreements with a new level of sophistication from suppliers.

Frederik Aagaard, Chief Commercial Officer at Agreena, said:

“This is a defining moment for Agreena and for the carbon market, as soil carbon cements its role at scale. A seven-year agreement provides infrastructure, enabling farmers in Kazakhstan to change how they farm with an economic safety net. A buyer of this scale only commits to those terms when it is confident the supply will be delivered. That assurance rests on the platform behind it: the scientists who design the programme, the dMRV technology that measures it, and the commercial team that brings farmers and buyers to the same table.”

Founded in 2018, Copenhagen-based Agreena provides soil carbon and regenerative agriculture solutions, supporting farmers in the adoption of regenerative practices while connecting them with companies seeking to finance associated climate outcomes.

The carbon credits will be generated from a new project in northern Kazakhstan’s grain belt, which is targeting having 1.6 million hectares under regenerative management by 2028. The company said that the farmland covered by the agreement is among the most carbon-rich soils in Central Asia, but have been degraded by conventional farming. Revenue from the new agreement will support farmers in transitioning to regenerative agriculture; rebuilding soil health, stopping soil organic carbon loss and ensuring farms’ long-term resilience.

According to Agreena, shifting away from conventional tillage can reduce diesel use by 40 to 60 litres per hectare, lowering costs for farmers, while retaining crop residues can help preserve moisture in a region receiving only 300 to 450 mm of rainfall annually. Ending stubble burning can also reduce particulate and nitrogen oxide pollution in surrounding rural communities.

The reduced soil disturbance and the use of off-season cover crops are expected to have a net positive impact on farmland biodiversity and the surrounding grassland landscape, which is used by endangered species.

Aagaard said:

“Soil carbon credits are unique in the value they provide beyond the measurable tonnes of carbon reduced and removed. Co-benefits, including greater biodiversity, improved soil health, and resilience against both drought and flood, are a direct result of protecting soil structure through the pillars of regenerative agriculture.”

Image source: Agreena