South African commercial row-crop farmers are pioneering a new era of climate-positive agriculture through UPL Corporation’s Smart Climate Ag programme, which enables them to earn additional income from verified carbon credits while adopting environmentally sustainable farming practices. The initiative represents a significant breakthrough in aligning agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship, offering farmers financial incentives for practices that improve soil health and combat climate change.
UPL Corporation (UPL Corp), a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, has officially launched Smart Climate Ag as a climate-positive programme specifically designed for South African commercial row-crop farmers. The programme encourages the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices alongside sustainable and biological inputs, allowing farmers to maintain and even enhance their productivity while transitioning to more environmentally friendly cultivation methods.
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Breaking Ground with Verified Carbon Credits
The programme’s pilot phase has already demonstrated tangible results, with 26,102 verified carbon credits issued across 2,884 hectares of cropland. These credits provide participating farmers with measurable financial benefits alongside the environmental gains associated with improved soil management practices. The successful pilot phase has validated both the economic viability and environmental effectiveness of the programme, paving the way for broader adoption across South Africa’s agricultural sector.
The carbon credits generated through Smart Climate Ag are verified through rigorous scientific protocols, ensuring that farmers receive fair compensation for their genuine contributions to carbon sequestration and emissions reduction. This verification process provides credibility to the carbon credits in voluntary markets, where companies and organizations purchase them to offset their own carbon footprints and meet sustainability commitments.
How the Programme Works
Smart Climate Ag was developed in partnership with Orizon Agriculture, a specialized carbon project developer, and has been certified by Verra, the leading independent carbon standard for voluntary carbon markets. The programme utilizes Verra’s VM0042 methodology, which is specifically designed for improved agricultural land management and quantifies greenhouse gas emission reductions and soil organic carbon removals resulting from the adoption of better farming practices.
The programme supports a comprehensive suite of regenerative agricultural practices that have been proven to benefit both soil health and climate outcomes. These practices include cover cropping, which involves planting crops specifically to protect and enrich the soil rather than for harvest; reduced tillage or no-till farming, which minimizes soil disturbance and preserves soil structure; lowered synthetic fertilizer use, which reduces both costs and greenhouse gas emissions; and the application of UPL’s NPP biosolutions, which provide natural alternatives to conventional agricultural chemicals.
Together, these practices create a synergistic effect that improves overall soil health, increases the amount of carbon captured and stored in agricultural soils, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from farming operations. The result is a farming system that actively removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while producing the food, feed, and fiber that society depends upon.
The Science Behind Soil Carbon Sequestration
The foundation of Smart Climate Ag rests on well-established scientific principles regarding soil carbon sequestration. Soils represent one of the largest carbon reservoirs on Earth, holding more carbon than the atmosphere and all plant life combined. However, conventional agricultural practices have depleted soil carbon stocks significantly over the past century, with many cultivated soils having lost 50-70% of their original organic carbon content.
Regenerative agricultural practices work to reverse this trend by enhancing the soil’s natural capacity to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide through plant photosynthesis and store it as stable soil organic matter. When plants photosynthesize, they draw carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into organic compounds. Some of this carbon is released back into the atmosphere through plant respiration, but a significant portion enters the soil through root exudates, decaying plant material, and other pathways.
Under regenerative management, more carbon enters the soil than leaves it, resulting in a net increase in soil organic carbon stocks. This process, known as carbon sequestration, effectively removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it in a relatively stable form in agricultural soils. Research has demonstrated that regenerative practices can increase soil organic carbon by measurable amounts, though the rate and magnitude of sequestration varies depending on factors such as soil type, climate, initial soil carbon levels, and the specific practices implemented.
Farmers Leading the Transformation
Callie Meintjes, a Free State maize farmer who participated in the Smart Climate Ag pilot programme, articulated the philosophical foundation that drives many participants: “We didn’t inherit the land we farm on from our forefathers; we are borrowing it from our children. And I was taught to return something I borrowed in a better condition than it was before. It’s about being sustainable producers. We must start thinking differently and broaden our perspective.”
This sentiment reflects a growing recognition among South African farmers that long-term agricultural sustainability requires moving beyond extractive practices that degrade soil resources toward regenerative approaches that build and maintain soil health. The financial incentives provided by carbon credit revenue make this transition more economically feasible, helping to overcome one of the primary barriers to adoption of regenerative practices.
Farmers participating in the programme report multiple benefits beyond carbon credit revenue. Improved soil health typically leads to better water infiltration and retention, reducing vulnerability to drought and irrigation costs. Enhanced soil structure and biological activity can improve nutrient cycling, potentially reducing fertilizer requirements. Some farmers also report improved crop resilience to pests and diseases, though these benefits can take several years to fully materialize as soil biological communities recover and stabilize.
Verification and Certification Process
The carbon credits generated through Smart Climate Ag undergo rigorous verification to ensure their environmental integrity. The programme follows Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, which is recognized globally as a leading standard for voluntary carbon markets. Verra’s VM0042 methodology is one of only three projects globally approved for agricultural land management carbon credits, underscoring the scientific rigor and credibility of the approach.
The verification process involves multiple steps to ensure that carbon credits represent real, additional, and permanent greenhouse gas reductions or removals. First, project developers establish a baseline representing the greenhouse gas profile of participating farms under conventional management. Then, farmers implement the prescribed regenerative practices while maintaining detailed records of their activities.
Independent third-party verifiers conduct audits to confirm that practices have been implemented as planned and that monitoring data has been collected according to approved protocols. Soil samples may be collected and analyzed in accredited laboratories to directly measure changes in soil organic carbon. Biogeochemical models, calibrated and validated for local conditions, help quantify the climate impact of different management practices.
Only after this rigorous verification process are carbon credits officially issued and registered on Verra’s registry, where they can be sold on voluntary carbon markets. The entire process is designed to ensure that buyers of these carbon credits can be confident that their purchase represents a genuine contribution to climate change mitigation.
Expanding Climate-Positive Farming
UPL Corp has ambitious plans to expand Smart Climate Ag far beyond its initial pilot phase. The company intends to scale the programme across additional crops, regions, and farming communities, partnering with organizations throughout the food value chain to accelerate adoption. This expansion strategy recognizes that achieving meaningful climate impact requires engaging large numbers of farmers across diverse agricultural systems.
The programme forms a cornerstone of UPL’s Gigaton Carbon Goal, an ambitious global initiative that targets the removal of one billion tonnes of atmospheric carbon dioxide by 2040. Launched initially in Latin America in 2021 as “The Gigaton Challenge,” the programme has now expanded to multiple continents, with Smart Climate Ag representing its manifestation in South Africa.
Marcel Dreyer, UPL Corp’s regional head for Africa, explained the programme’s comprehensive vision: “The Smart Climate Ag programme is about enabling farmers to build resilience. By helping them restore carbon to their soils, we strengthen soil health while ensuring farms remain commercially productive. The additional carbon revenue provides the farmers we serve with financial security as they adapt to a changing climate.”
This dual focus on environmental outcomes and economic viability reflects UPL’s recognition that sustainable agricultural transformation requires solutions that work for farmers financially as well as environmentally. Carbon credit revenue provides an additional income stream that can help offset transition costs and compensate farmers for the ecosystem services they provide through improved land management.
Pilot Programme Results and Insights
The CarbonSmart pilot, which preceded the formal launch of Smart Climate Ag, provided crucial evidence that regenerative practices can simultaneously improve environmental outcomes and maintain agricultural productivity. The pilot confirmed that regenerative practices successfully increase soil organic carbon levels, which serves as the foundation for generating verified carbon credits.
Beyond carbon sequestration, pilot participants reported improvements in multiple dimensions of soil health. Soil fertility improved as organic matter accumulated, enhancing the soil’s capacity to supply nutrients to crops. Water retention capacity increased, helping crops better withstand dry periods and reducing irrigation requirements. Soil structure improved, facilitating better root penetration and reducing erosion risks.
Critically, these soil health improvements were achieved while maintaining crop yields and farm profitability. This finding addresses a common concern that transitioning to regenerative practices might compromise productivity or economic viability. The pilot results demonstrate that with appropriate management and support, farmers can achieve environmental improvements without sacrificing economic performance.
The financial returns from carbon credit sales varied among participants depending on factors such as the extent of practice changes implemented, baseline soil carbon levels, and the specific crops grown. However, UPL has structured the programme to ensure that farmers receive the majority of revenue from carbon credit sales, typically up to 75% of the proceeds, with the remainder covering verification costs and programme administration.
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The Role of Biological Solutions
A distinguishing feature of Smart Climate Ag is its emphasis on biological and sustainable inputs, particularly UPL’s NPP (Natural Plant Protection) biosolutions. These products represent alternatives to conventional synthetic agricultural chemicals, offering farmers tools to manage pests, diseases, and nutrients through biological mechanisms rather than purely chemical interventions.
Biosolutions align naturally with regenerative agriculture principles by supporting soil biological activity rather than disrupting it. Many conventional agricultural chemicals can negatively impact beneficial soil organisms, whereas biological products are designed to work in harmony with soil ecosystems. This compatibility makes biosolutions particularly valuable for farmers seeking to build soil health while maintaining effective crop protection.
The integration of biosolutions into Smart Climate Ag also helps address a practical challenge that farmers face when adopting regenerative practices: how to manage pests and diseases while reducing reliance on synthetic pesticides. Biological alternatives provide viable options that support both regenerative goals and crop protection needs, making the overall transition more feasible and successful.
Broader Context: Carbon Markets in Africa
Smart Climate Ag emerges within the broader context of Africa’s growing engagement with voluntary carbon markets. The continent, which is home to vast forests and agricultural lands, has significant potential to generate high-quality carbon credits through improved land management practices. However, realizing this potential requires addressing challenges related to measurement, verification, project development capacity, and market access.
South Africa has taken steps to facilitate carbon market participation through initiatives such as the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s voluntary carbon market platform, launched in November 2023. This platform provides infrastructure for South African participants to buy and sell carbon credits and renewable energy certificates, helping to build domestic capacity for carbon trading.
The development of agricultural carbon projects like Smart Climate Ag helps demonstrate how carbon markets can deliver benefits beyond climate mitigation. When designed and implemented properly, such projects can provide additional income to farmers, support rural development, enhance food security through improved soil health, and contribute to biodiversity conservation. These co-benefits are particularly important in African contexts, where agriculture plays a central role in livelihoods and rural economies.
Challenges and Considerations
While Smart Climate Ag represents a promising approach to aligning agricultural production with climate goals, it also faces challenges common to agricultural carbon projects. One significant challenge involves the long-term permanence of carbon sequestered in soils. Unlike forests, where carbon can remain stored in woody biomass for decades or centuries, soil carbon can be released relatively quickly if regenerative practices are discontinued or if soils are disturbed through tillage.
Addressing this permanence challenge requires ensuring that farmers maintain regenerative practices over extended periods. Smart Climate Ag incorporates mechanisms to support farmer commitment, including multi-year agreements, ongoing technical support, and structured payment schedules that incentivize continued participation. However, the fundamental tension between soil carbon’s impermanence and the need for long-term climate benefits remains a consideration for all agricultural carbon projects.
Another challenge involves accurately measuring soil carbon changes and avoiding overstatement of climate benefits. Soil carbon measurement is complex, requiring careful sampling protocols, appropriate laboratory analysis, and sophisticated modeling to account for spatial variability and natural fluctuations. The programme addresses these measurement challenges through its adoption of Verra’s rigorous VM0042 methodology, which incorporates best practices for soil carbon quantification in agricultural systems.
Questions also persist in the scientific literature about the ultimate potential for agricultural soils to sequester carbon and the time scales over which sequestration can continue. Research indicates that while regenerative practices can increase soil carbon, soils eventually reach a new equilibrium state where carbon inputs and outputs balance. This saturation effect means that soil carbon sequestration provides climate benefits primarily during the transition period from degraded to healthier soil conditions, rather than indefinitely.
Economic Implications for South African Agriculture
The introduction of carbon credit revenue streams through programmes like Smart Climate Ag has significant implications for the economics of South African agriculture. Carbon credits provide a form of payment for ecosystem services, compensating farmers for environmental stewardship that benefits society broadly but has not traditionally been reflected in agricultural commodity prices.
This additional revenue can be particularly valuable for farmers operating on thin profit margins or in climatically marginal areas where conventional productivity improvements are difficult to achieve. For many participants, carbon credit income may represent a meaningful supplement to traditional agricultural revenue, potentially accounting for several percent of total farm income depending on the extent of practice changes implemented and prevailing carbon prices.
The programme also helps de-risk the transition to regenerative practices by providing financial support during the initial years when farmers are learning new management approaches and soil improvements may not yet have translated into yield or cost benefits. This financial cushion can make farmers more willing to experiment with regenerative practices and persist through the learning curve that often accompanies significant changes in farm management.
Beyond individual farm economics, the scaling of programmes like Smart Climate Ag could have broader implications for South African agriculture’s competitiveness and sustainability. As global food markets increasingly value environmental sustainability, farmers who can demonstrate climate-positive production practices may access premium markets or meet supply chain requirements that provide competitive advantages.
Technical Support and Farmer Engagement
Successful implementation of Smart Climate Ag requires more than just financial incentives; it also demands robust technical support to help farmers effectively adopt and optimize regenerative practices. UPL Corp provides participating farmers with access to agronomic expertise, training on regenerative techniques, and ongoing monitoring support to track soil health improvements and troubleshoot challenges.
This technical assistance recognizes that regenerative agriculture, while based on time-tested principles, requires site-specific adaptation and management skills that differ from conventional farming approaches. Farmers need guidance on selecting appropriate cover crop species for their conditions, determining optimal timing for cover crop termination, calibrating reduced tillage equipment, and managing nutrient cycling in systems with lower synthetic fertilizer inputs.
The programme also facilitates farmer-to-farmer learning through field days, demonstration sites, and peer networks where participants can share experiences, challenges, and innovations. This horizontal knowledge transfer is particularly valuable because farmers often find peer experiences more relatable and credible than top-down technical advice.
Integration with South African Climate Policy
Smart Climate Ag aligns with South Africa’s broader climate policy objectives and commitments under the Paris Agreement. The country has submitted Nationally Determined Contributions that include agricultural sector mitigation potential, recognizing agriculture’s role in both greenhouse gas emissions and potential climate solutions.
By enabling farmers to generate verified emission reductions and carbon removals, programmes like Smart Climate Ag help South Africa demonstrate progress toward its climate commitments while supporting agricultural sector development. The programme also contributes to building domestic capacity for measuring, reporting, and verifying agricultural greenhouse gas impacts—technical capabilities that will be increasingly important as climate policy evolves.
Additionally, the programme’s emphasis on soil health aligns with national priorities around food security and agricultural resilience. Improving soil health makes farming systems more resilient to climate variability and extreme weather events, which are expected to increase in frequency and intensity with climate change. This resilience benefit means that practices adopted for carbon sequestration also help farmers adapt to climate change impacts, creating valuable co-benefits.
Looking Forward: Scaling and Innovation
As Smart Climate Ag moves beyond its pilot phase, UPL Corp envisions significantly expanding the programme’s reach across South Africa and potentially into other African countries. This scaling ambition reflects both the programme’s early success and the vast potential for regenerative agriculture adoption across Africa’s diverse agricultural landscapes.
Scaling will require addressing several operational challenges, including building verification capacity to handle larger numbers of participants, developing more efficient monitoring approaches that reduce costs while maintaining environmental integrity, and creating robust market linkages to ensure consistent demand for the carbon credits generated. UPL’s partnership with Orizon Agriculture and its global network provide important infrastructure for addressing these challenges.
The programme also continues to evolve based on experience and emerging best practices. Future iterations may incorporate additional practices such as agroforestry, which integrates trees into agricultural landscapes, or livestock integration, which can enhance nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration. Technological innovations in remote sensing, soil carbon measurement, and agricultural modeling may also be integrated to improve the accuracy and reduce the cost of carbon quantification.
The Path to Climate-Positive Agriculture
Smart Climate Ag represents a concrete example of how agriculture can transition from being a net contributor to greenhouse gas emissions to becoming a climate solution. While agriculture globally accounts for roughly one-quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, improved practices have the potential to substantially reduce these emissions while also removing atmospheric carbon dioxide through soil sequestration.
The programme demonstrates that this transition need not require farmers to sacrifice productivity or economic viability. Instead, by properly valuing the ecosystem services that regenerative agriculture provides—particularly carbon sequestration—market mechanisms can align private farmer incentives with public environmental goals. This alignment creates opportunities for win-win outcomes where farmers improve their financial position while society gains climate and environmental benefits.
However, realizing agriculture’s full climate potential will require efforts at much larger scale than current programmes represent. Even ambitious initiatives like UPL’s Gigaton Carbon Goal, while significant, address only a fraction of global agricultural emissions. Achieving climate-positive agriculture globally will require sustained effort across multiple fronts: expanding farmer participation in carbon programmes, improving agricultural efficiency to reduce emissions per unit of production, reducing food loss and waste, and shifting dietary patterns toward less emission-intensive foods.
Conclusion
UPL Corporation’s Smart Climate Ag programme marks an important milestone in South African agriculture’s journey toward sustainability and climate positivity. By providing farmers with verified carbon credit income streams for adopting regenerative practices, the programme creates economic incentives that support both environmental stewardship and agricultural productivity.
The successful pilot phase, which generated over 26,000 verified carbon credits across nearly 3,000 hectares, demonstrates the viability of the model and provides a foundation for scaling. Participating farmers like Callie Meintjes exemplify a growing recognition that sustainable agriculture requires thinking beyond short-term yields to consider the long-term health of the soil and land resources upon which future generations will depend.
As the programme expands to reach more farmers, crops, and regions, it has the potential to contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s climate goals while building more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. The initiative represents a practical example of how carbon markets can be harnessed to support agricultural transformation, providing a model that could be replicated in other contexts facing similar challenges of aligning agricultural production with environmental sustainability.
The road ahead requires sustained commitment from all stakeholders—farmers willing to adopt new practices, companies like UPL providing technical and financial support, verification bodies ensuring environmental integrity, and purchasers of carbon credits valuing and supporting climate-positive agriculture. Together, these actors can help realize agriculture’s potential as a climate solution while securing the livelihoods of farmers and the food security of communities across South Africa and beyond.
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By: Montel Kamau
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20th November, 2025
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