South Pole and Gaïago have issued the first carbon credits under Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology through a regenerative agriculture programme in France and Belgium. The initial issuance covers 6,000 verified hectares, with the wider programme expected to reach more than 39,000 hectares across 727 farms.
Key Overview
- The project covers farms in France and Belgium.
- It is the first project globally to issue credits under Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology.
- The initial issuance covers 6,000 verified hectares.
- The wider programme involves 727 farms.
- Full enrolment could expand the project to 39,282 hectares.
- The first crediting period is forecast to remove 264,174 tCO₂e.
- Farmers are adopting regenerative practices including reduced or zero tillage and year-round cover cropping.
- The programme launched in 2022 with a 20-year operational horizon.
First Gold Standard Soil Carbon Credits Issued
Europe has reached a milestone in soil carbon finance with the issuance of the first carbon credits under Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) Framework Methodology.
The credits come from the European Soil Revitalization Programme, a regenerative agriculture initiative operating across France and Belgium. The programme is designed to increase carbon stored in agricultural soils while improving soil health, water retention and resilience.
The first issuance covers 6,000 verified hectares. Once all participating farms are enrolled, the programme is expected to expand to 39,282 hectares.
The milestone is significant for the soil carbon market because it creates a supply of credits generated under a dedicated Gold Standard methodology for measuring soil organic carbon.
Programme Covers 727 Farms
The wider initiative involves 727 participating farms across France and Belgium.
Full enrollment is forecast to result in the removal of 264,174 metric tons of CO2 equivalent during the programme’s first crediting period.
The programme began in 2022 and has a 20-year operational horizon. Gaïago implements the agricultural activities on the ground, while South Pole has supported project development and the carbon-credit certification and verification process.
The initial credits therefore represent the first stage of a larger programme intended to expand regenerative farming practices and carbon removals across European agricultural land.
Regenerative Farming at the Centre
The project uses several farming practices designed to increase soil carbon while improving agricultural conditions.
These include reduced or zero tillage, which limits disturbance of the soil, and year-round cover cropping to improve water retention and nutrient levels.
The programme also requires the use of Gaïago’s NUTRIGEO®L biostimulant. The product is designed to support microbial diversity and improve soil structure.
Together, the practices are intended to increase soil organic carbon stocks while improving soil fertility and the ability of agricultural systems to withstand climate-related pressures.
Measuring Soil Carbon
A key feature of the programme is its measurement, reporting and verification approach.
The project applies the Food and Agriculture Organization’s GSOC MRV protocol and aligns with the FAO RECSOIL Initiative.
The use of structured monitoring and verification procedures is particularly important for soil carbon because the amount of carbon stored in agricultural soils can change over time and needs to be measured consistently.
The programme has also trained 1,972 local stakeholders through training focused on soil health, revitalisation and agronomy.
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A New Supply of European Carbon Removals
The issuance gives companies seeking carbon removals another potential source of credits within Europe.
Agricultural soil is increasingly being considered as an important carbon-removal pathway because farming practices can influence how much carbon remains stored in the soil.
The European programme combines carbon finance with regenerative agriculture, providing an additional financial incentive for farmers to adopt practices intended to improve soil health.
The approach also creates a potential bridge between agricultural investment and corporate climate strategies, particularly as companies look for more rigorously quantified carbon-removal projects.
Building a Larger Soil Carbon Market
The initial 6,000-hectare issuance is only the beginning of the programme’s planned scale.
With full enrollment, the project could reach more than 39,282 hectares and deliver the forecast 264,174 tCO₂e of removals during its first crediting period.
The project also provides a real-world application of Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology, showing how soil carbon removals can be quantified and certified within a structured carbon-market framework.
Future applications could extend beyond direct credit sales. The methodology may also support corporate insetting initiatives focused on agricultural supply chains and Scope 3 emissions.
Outlook
Europe’s first Gold Standard soil carbon credit issuance marks a step forward for regenerative agriculture and the carbon-removal market.
By combining regenerative farming practices with carbon finance and structured monitoring, the programme aims to deliver both climate and agricultural benefits.
The initial 6,000 hectares provide the first verified stage of a much larger initiative. If all 727 farms participate, the programme could expand to 39,282 hectares and generate hundreds of thousands of tonnes of forecast carbon removals during its first crediting period.
For the wider carbon market, the issuance demonstrates how soil carbon projects can move from methodology development to verified credits available to buyers.
FAQs
1. What are the new European soil carbon credits?
They are carbon-removal credits issued from a regenerative agriculture programme in France and Belgium under Gold Standard’s Soil Organic Carbon Framework Methodology.
2. How much land is covered by the first issuance?
The initial issuance covers 6,000 verified hectares.
3. How large could the programme become?
Full enrolment across the 727 participating farms could expand the programme to 39,282 hectares.
4. How much carbon could the project remove?
The programme forecasts 264,174 tCO₂e of removals during its first crediting period.
Sources: Carbon Herald | CarbonCredits.com | ESG News | South Pole | KnowESG
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