Bayer (ETR: BAYN) is set to release its first carbon credits from regenerative rice farming in India, with up to 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) currently undergoing validation and certification by Gold Standard.
These credits, generated through sustainable farming methods like direct seeded rice (DSR), will be available on the global carbon market for climate-conscious companies seeking to support greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions and sustainable agriculture.
This marks Bayer’s first issuance of carbon credits from regenerative crop production in Asia, the German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Bayer Rice Carbon Program, implemented across 11 Indian states, has enabled thousands of farmers to adopt climate-friendly techniques over the past two years.
DSR, along with alternate wetting and drying methods, significantly reduces methane emissions by limiting the time rice fields remain flooded.
This large-scale pilot feeds into even bigger projects, ensuring a pipeline of high-quality carbon credits, said George Mazzella from the Crop Science division at Bayer.
Beyond emissions reductions, participating farmers benefit from lower labor and water requirements, reduced cultivation costs, and increased profitability.
Regenerative agriculture drives sustainable food production while preserving the planet, noted Frank Terhorst, also from Bayer’s Crop Science division.
The goal is to create resilient farming systems that benefit both farmers and the environment, he added.
Traditionally, rice farming relies on transplanting seedlings into flooded fields, a labor-intensive method responsible for substantial methane emissions.
By transitioning to DSR, farmers decrease methane release from decomposing organic matter, a critical step as methane is 28 times more potent than CO2 over a 100-year period.
