Illustrative aerial view across rice fields and irrigation channels

AGRICULTURAL CARBON · PUNJAB, INDIA

Turn better farming practices into measurable climate impact.

The Carbon Credit connects field activity, geospatial observations and rigorous MRV workflows to help build credible agricultural carbon projects.

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MAKING AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE IMPACT MEASURABLEILLUSTRATIVE FIELD VIEW

A CONNECTED EVIDENCE TRAIL

Field boundariesFarm recordsSatellite observationsMethodologyHuman review

WHY EVIDENCE MATTERS

A practice is only the start of a carbon project.

A credible project needs more than an activity claim. Its scope, baseline, method, calculations and review must connect back to suitable evidence.

Define the project

Establish participating farms, field boundaries, eligible land and the project’s scope.

Document the season

Connect consent, farming activities, dates, field observations and source records.

Trace every claim

Keep methodology versions, assumptions, calculations and review decisions together.

Not every claimed tonne becomes an issued credit. Evidence collection, estimated reductions, independent verification, issuance and sale are separate stages.

Understand monitoring, reporting and verification

THE EVIDENCE CONNECTION

Every result has a trail.
Make it visible.

The illustrative evidence graph connects a field, season and activity to its source records, assessment status and reviewer decision.

Collected evidence, assessed findings and work awaiting independent review remain distinct.

Explore the evidence model

ILLUSTRATIVE EVIDENCE GRAPHConceptual model · not live data

Source evidenceIllustrative sources

Records and observations support, qualify or challenge the activity claim.

No real farmer record, verification result or credit issuance is shown.

A field observer connects a paper field log and parcel sketch with a phone photograph beside rice plots. — AI-GENERATED ILLUSTRATION · FIELD RECORDSNo real farmer record, field identifier or assessment is shown.

A SIX-STAGE MRV WORKFLOW

Follow the evidence from field to market.

Select a stage to see what it can establish, which records support it and where its limits begin.

STAGE 01 / 06

Identify the project

Evidence involved: Farm and participant scope, field boundaries, crop season and eligibility criteria.
What it establishes: Which fields and participants are in scope.
What it does not: A mapped boundary does not establish eligibility or additionality.

Evidence collection, emission estimates, independent verification, credit issuance and credit sales are distinct steps.

PUNJAB · DIRECT SEEDED RICE

One crop.
Different beginnings.

Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) establishes rice by sowing seed directly in the field. Transplanted rice moves seedlings from a nursery into prepared fields. The establishment method can affect field operations, but water management remains a separate choice.

COMPARE ESTABLISHMENT

Choose a method to see what changes in the field.

Seed is placed directly in the field.

This changes crop establishment. Irrigation schedules and field conditions still vary, so DSR alone does not define how long soil stays flooded.

CARBON CONTEXT

Under suitable conditions, DSR can reduce methane compared with an appropriate baseline. Results depend on water and crop management, field conditions and the applicable methodology. DSR does not automatically produce carbon credits.

Read IRRI’s Direct Seeded Rice Consortium notes ↗

Illustrative tractor-mounted seed drill sowing rice directly into prepared field rows. — DIRECT SEEDINGAI-generated illustrative field scene

CROP ESTABLISHMENT · WATER REGIME IS A SEPARATE CHOICEField schematic

01 / TRANSPLANTEDNursery → prepared fieldSeedlings move from a nursery into the field.

02 / DIRECT SEEDEDSeed → field rowsSeed is placed directly into prepared soil.

↗

Establishment ≠ water management. Sowing method alone does not show how a field was irrigated or how long it remained flooded.

Schematic only. Field preparation, water conditions and management vary; any emissions comparison needs an applicable method and field evidence.

EVIDENCE THROUGH A SEASON

Keep each field’s season connected.

01
Before sowing
Confirm field boundaries, season, consent and the project’s evidence requirements.
02
Establishment
Record sowing date and method, field preparation and relevant observations.
03
Crop growth
Log irrigation and water management where the selected methodology requires them.
04
Harvest & review
Close the seasonal record, resolve gaps and retain calculations with their assumptions.

The required records depend on the chosen programme and methodology.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Carbon projects, in plain terms.

Does adopting DSR guarantee carbon credits?

No. Eligibility and any potential outcome depend on the project boundary, baseline, applicable methodology, field evidence and independent review. DSR adoption alone is not enough.

How is a potential credit quantity estimated?

A project applies the relevant methodology to its defined baseline, activity data and assumptions, including uncertainty and deductions. The result is an estimate, not a verified reduction or issued credit.

Who verifies an agricultural carbon project?

An independent validation or verification body assesses the project against the selected programme’s rules where required. A registry controls credit issuance under its process.

How can an FPO or partner explore a project?

Start with your geography, crop and season, current practices, available records and intended programme. The Carbon Credit can discuss evidence requirements and a potential collaboration.

A farmer walking beside rows of rice in a green field

ROOTED IN THE FIELD

Real context.
Stronger evidence.

Every field has a story. Connect its season, practices and observations — without losing the context behind a claim.

From observation to review

ILLUSTRATIVE FIELD LANDSCAPE

A farmer carrying a bundle of rice seedlings in a green field. — **Harvest**A farmer gathers rice seedlings at the edge of a paddy.

Farm workers across a wide landscape of rice paddies. — **Field context**Working across a patchwork of rice plots.

A broad agricultural landscape with small haystacks across the field. — **Harvest landscape**Fields and stored crop residue after harvest.

A farmer carrying a tool through green rice rows. — **Seasonal practice**A field worker moves between crop rows.

SATELLITE INTELLIGENCE

Observe the season. Keep the field record in view.

Satellite observations can add spatial and seasonal context when coverage, timing and image quality are suitable. They remain one source among several.

AI-generated overhead view of a Punjab rice-field mosaic; illustrative context, not live imagery. — Illustrative parcels and observation path. Live satellite analysis is available only through the authenticated workspace when real data credentials and suitable imagery are available.

OUR APPROACH

A project workflow built around evidence.

Each stage has a purpose, required sources and a clear boundary on what its findings can support.

Scope

Define the participating farms, fields, season and project requirements.

Collect

Record consent, activities and field observations with their source and date.

Observe

Use suitable geospatial data as supporting context, with quality limitations.

Quantify

Apply the relevant baseline and methodology, retaining assumptions and uncertainty.

Review

Prepare traceable records for quality checks and independent assessment where required.

Illustrative Punjab farmer operating a seed drill across direct-seeded rice rows. — Illustrative AI-generated scenesVerification and issuance are different decisions. A documented project does not guarantee either; actual requirements depend on the selected program and methodology.

See the project workflow

CAPABILITY STATUS

Platform design · capabilities described below are proposed unless explicitly identified as available. Product examples are illustrative, not live monitoring or verified results. Implementation and integrations are agreed for each program.

01 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Field intelligence

Organize persistent field identities, crop-season records and observations. The intended output is a contextual field history rather than isolated spreadsheets.

02 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Practice monitoring

Compare reported activities with defined practice requirements. Intended assessments keep missing sources and unresolved inconsistencies visible.

03 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Geospatial intelligence

Associate suitable spatial datasets with registered parcels and observation periods. Coverage and resolution limitations accompany interpretation.

04 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Evidence management

Connect claims to sources, methodology versions and review decisions. Traceable evidence packages preserve both supporting and conflicting records.

05 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Validation workflows

Check completeness, timing and field association, then surface exceptions. Automated checks support accountable human review.

06 / THE CARBON CREDIT PLATFORM

Reporting

Prepare field and program assessments retaining assumptions, exclusions, status and source references. Formats depend on the agreed implementation.

AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS

Start with local context. Build for credible scale.

Programs define their own geography, crop, practices, methodology and evidence requirements. The current public focus is Direct Seeded Rice and agricultural carbon projects in Punjab.

FIELD INTELLIGENCE

Agricultural practice monitoring

Connect seasonal activity records with field observations to assess how agricultural practices change over time.

RESOURCE MONITORING

Water-use management

Bring irrigation observations, sensor measurements and geospatial context into a consistent field record.

PROGRAM ASSURANCE

Sustainable agriculture MRV

Structure evidence around the criteria of a sustainable agriculture program, rather than a single crop or region.

WHO WE WORK WITH

A shared evidence language for every partner.

Farmers and institutions bring different knowledge and responsibilities to an agricultural carbon project.

FPOs & farmer collectives

Contribute authorized farm records and local observations; coordinate registration and collection, with clearer evidence requirements and seasonal visibility.

Agribusinesses & supply chains

Contribute farm and downstream documentation; reconcile practice and production references to identify traceability coverage and missing links.

Government & development programs

Define eligibility, reporting criteria and authorized program records; assess implementation and unresolved evidence without replacing official review.

Crop insurers & risk teams

Define case requirements and supply authorized inspection records; review field timelines to prepare documentation for their own assessment process.

Sustainability & carbon developers

Supply methodology and baseline requirements; organize activity sources and calculations for review without implying certification or issued credits.

Research & verification organizations

Contribute protocols and validation datasets; inspect provenance, assumptions and reproducibility to assess the quality of methods and evidence.

Illustrative farmer discusses participation and field activity with a coordinator. — Illustrative AI-generated scenesParticipation, methodology approval, independent review, registry issuance and any commercial sale are separate steps. These scenes do not represent active partners, buyers or project outcomes.

CREDIBILITY BY DESIGN

Clear methods. Traceable records. Accountable review.

AI can support analysis. Applicable rules check requirements. People review exceptions and make accountable decisions.

Evidence provenance

Retain the source, collection time, field context and transformations behind each record.

Data quality & confidence

Make completeness, consistency, uncertainty and limitations explicit. Confidence is not certification.

Human review & audit trails

Keep reviewer decisions and their rationale connected to the evidence they assess.

Consent & privacy

Respect purpose-specific permissions and restrict sensitive farmer and field information.

Our approach to methodology

FIELD PROGRAMS & CASE STUDIES

Evidence before outcomes.

No project results or credit issuance are presented as established facts. We’ll publish program outcomes only with a defined scope, supporting records and approval.

Explore program context

WHAT A PROJECT RECORD NEEDS

01Geography, crop & season

02Practice, baseline & method

03Evidence sources & quality

04Assessment status & limitations

Illustrative project framework · no deployment or results implied.

START WITH A CONVERSATION

Build a clearer picture
of agricultural impact.

Talk with The Carbon Credit about a DSR program, field evidence requirements, research collaboration or a potential project partnership.

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