- Project measured impact of sustainable farming practices and generated additional revenue for barley growers
- Average savings of 2.3 tons CO₂e per hectare, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by close to 90 percent
- Project delivered through BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program and independently verified by SustainCERT
Limburgerhof, Germany; Cork, Ireland – BASF and Boortmalt, the world’s leading malted barley provider, have successfully generated the first Verified Impact Units (VIUs) from reducing and removing on-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. “The journey we began in 2022 has now reached a pivotal milestone with the generation of the VIUs,” said Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President Global Marketing at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “This achievement showcases the potential of climate-smart agriculture and our Global Carbon Farming Program, emphasizing also the importance of connecting farmers with stakeholders across the value chain to develop scalable solutions.”
As part of BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program, enabled by xarvio® Digital Farming Solutions, barley farmers in Ireland have implemented sustainable farming practices such as cover crops. These efforts have resulted in average savings of 2.3 tons CO₂e per hectare, reducing GHG emissions by nearly 90 percent and bringing barley production closer to net-zero. This creates a significant milestone for companies seeking a mechanism to certify the impact of on-farm interventions that help reduce scope 3 emissions[1] and meet Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitments.
“We are incredibly proud alongside our project partners to be Europe’s first to have achieved Verra’s standard of verification from carbon insetting,” said Gustavo Palerosi Carneiro, Senior Vice President BASF Agricultural Solutions for EMEA & CIS. “Through reliable verification and certification, farmers are rewarded for implementing sustainable practices that benefit the environment without compromising productivity. We are excited to continue to work with food value chain and farmers on our Carbon Farming Program and to provide them with innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture.”
Boortmalt’s agronomists have been working closely alongside barley farmers in the field. Farmers know the benefits to soil, biodiversity and environment from sustainable farming practices. However, the transitioning from conventional methods to more sustainable ones is not always easy. In addition to the need to acquire new knowledge, farmers may need to invest in new materials, such as cover crop seeds. Boortmalt understands the need for a value chain solution that not only reduces emissions in barley cultivation but also creates profitability opportunities for growers to accelerate and support these changes. “These first VIUs represent a critical step forward, benefitting farmers and reinforcing our commitment to reducing GHG emissions and promoting sustainability,” said Gauthier Boels, Group Sustainable Agriculture Manager at Boortmalt.
Commenting on the BASF and Boortmalt collaboration, Joel Johnson, BASF’s Business Director for Agricultural Solutions in UK and Ireland said, “agriculture faces a unique challenge as a contributor to GHG emissions but also one of the only industries able to sequester carbon. The project shows how GHG emissions reduction can be achieved through practical interventions delivered by farmers who can both contribute to and benefit from an environmentally conscious value chain. This is incredibly powerful and provides a blueprint for what other food and beverage companies can achieve going forward by working in partnership with farmers.”
BASF’s Carbon Farming Program implements Verra’s agricultural protocol (VM0042) and works with SustainCERT, an independent validation and verification body for climate impact. “This is a great achievement,” said Marion Verles, CEO of SustainCERT. “Our team validated and verified the outcomes of BASF’s Global Carbon Farming Program to ensure that the CO2e savings are of the highest level of trust and accountability. Our approach helps companies demonstrate progress toward their scope 3 targets by validating and verifying value chain interventions and confirming the resulting mitigations outcomes.”
In the future, BASF will extend its Global Carbon Farming Program working with partners globally across several crops to deliver similar benefits for different value chains. The insights gained from this program are also highly valuable for Boortmalt, as it expands its ambitious regenerative agriculture program across various regions, tailoring it to suit each country. The company is committed to facilitate the transition to regenerative agriculture practices and reduce its barley emissions by 30.3 percent by 2030, compared to baseline in 2023, in line with its SBTi commitments.