Agriculture

The agreement will give Catona Climate customers access to credits generated by US farmers who adopt regenerative agricultural practices. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Leading sustainable agricultural solutions company Indigo Ag is helping to create a new market segment offering unprecedented opportunities for farmers and businesses to access the value of nature-based carbon credits

Indigo Ag’s scale and innovative, high-integrity approach has drawn the attention of global climate finance company Catona Climate which has consistently maintained a focus on sourcing, financing, and helping develop the highest-quality credits from nature-based climate solutions.

Through a strategic partnership, Indigo Ag has agreed to provide Catona Climate exclusive access to 250,000 credits from a highly-rated US-based regenerative agriculture soil carbon project. The agreement will give Catona Climate customers access to credits generated by US farmers who adopt regenerative agricultural practices — such as planting cover crops, diversifying crop rotation, and reducing tillage — that abate emissions and sequester carbon in the soil.

“We’re delighted that Catona Climate, known for their high-quality nature-based carbon credit portfolio, has chosen to work with us as we gear up to deliver our largest ever carbon crop,” said Indigo Ag CEO, Dean Banks. “This deal not only represents a strong vote of confidence in our thriving programme but also in soil carbon as an asset class. It reflects the increasing maturity of the market and will generate further confidence in the long-term durability of soil carbon projects, which is great news for the farmers and agribusinesses benefiting from this promising new revenue stream.” 

Among those who were recognised were scheme smallholders who consistently adopted sustainable plantation practices in compliance with certification standards. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Asian Agri’s smallholder partners in Jambi Province received recognition, with premium payments being distributed from the sale of certified sustainable palm oil for 2023

Forty cooperatives (KUDs) comprising around 12,500 smallholder members received a total amount of more than US$147.24 on 20 December at EV Garden in Jambi, Indonesia. The aim of the programme is to reward oil palm smallholders who adhere to internationally recognised sustainability standards, such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification. Among those who were recognised were scheme smallholders who consistently adopted sustainable plantation practices in compliance with certification standards.

“With RSPO certification, we can support the sustainable palm oil industry in international markets, particularly in Europe, where only sustainably sourced palm oil is accepted,” noted Ramli Simarmata, regional head of Asian Agri for Jambi region, adding that the premium payments are expected to benefit over 12,500 smallholders, aligning with Asian Agri’s 5C philosophy. This emphasises that the company’s presence should bring value to the Community, the Country, the Climate, the Customer, and ultimately the Company.

Rudy Rismanto, head of Partnership at Asian Agri, highlighted the role of partnerships in the company’s sustainability strategy. Rahadi, chairman of KUD Sawit Mulia, also noted the many advantages of the partnership model and encouraged smallholders with unproductive plantations to proceed with replanting. Furthermore, Basuki, supervisor of KUD Makmur Rezeki, emphasised the importance of using high-quality seeds as a key factor for successful replanting. 

Under the guidance of the Sheyang County Rice Association, Nanjing 5718 has become the flagship variety for the Sheyang Rice brand. (Image source: Sheyang County Rice Association)

The new Nanjing 5718 variety of Sheyang rice was recently honored with the 'Special Excellence Award' at the 16th edition of the Japan Rice Quality and Taste Research Association Seminar and Premium Japonica Rice Tasting event in Hiroshima, Japan

Renowned for its rich aroma, sweet and tender texture and exceptional nutritional value, the Sheyang rice variety stands out for its superior taste and its adaptability to integrated farming models, such as rice-shrimp and rice-crab cultivation. These advantages align perfectly with Sheyang's strategic focus on developing green and high-quality rice production bases. Under the guidance of the Sheyang County Rice Association, Nanjing 5718 has become the flagship variety for the Sheyang Rice brand. 

For 15 consecutive years, Sheyang Rice has been recognised as one of Shanghai's 'Top 10 Quality and Best-selling Brands" for edible agricultural products in th  grain and oil category. The brand has also received over 50 honors, including being named one of China's 'Top 10 Regional Public Rice Brands'. Its brand value has been assessed at an impressive US$4.8bn.

Japan has been a long-standing partner of WFP’s assistance in Zimbabwe since 2019. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

The Japanese government has contributed US$5.1mn toward the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), supporting nearly 37,000 smallholder farmers across five districts in Zimbabwe

The ongoing climate challenges in Zimbabwe caused by El Niño has resulted in widespread food insecurity, making this three-year project crucial for solving food security issues and enhancing resilience for smallholder farmers. The WFP will make this possible by establishing water-based infrastructure, developing value chains and strengthening agricultural extension service capacity. 

Moreover, the project aims to address sustainability issues by combining food assistance with climate-adaptive practices, thereby helping smallholder farmers to cultivate more sustainable crops, particularly sesame, which has a high market potential. Production of this crop will be one of the central value chains, enhancing export opportunities for Zimbabwean smallholder farmers.

“Under this project, small-scale farmers will be supported in growing sesame seeds to practice market-oriented agriculture and a Japanese trading company called ITOCHU Corporation is expected to play an important role in completing the value-chain of the project,” said Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Shinichi Yamanaka.

He highlighted that the Japanese government would be providing financial assistance of around US$72,000 to ‘the project for the construction of storages for sesame farmers in Mwenezi District’ implemented by Sustainable Agriculture Technology (SAT), which is expected to support sesame production and its procurement including value addition for the local and export market.

With a contribution of more than US$28mn toward food assistance and resilience-building initiatives supported by the WFP, Japan has been a long-standing partner of WFP’s assistance in Zimbabwe since 2019. 

“This invaluable contribution from the Gomore than vernment of Japan allows us to make food more available, easier to access, and more reliable for Zimbabwean families,” said Barbara Clemens, country representative and director for WFP in Zimbabwe. “By supporting farmers to grow food in a sustainable way and connect them to markets, we can address immediate food needs and empower communities to build a food secure future.”