December 2023 ESMC Newsletter
ED Update: COP28 and Implications for US Agriculture
As has been widely noted in the popular press and in climate change focused outlets, agriculture and food systems were a significant focus of COP28 [28th annual Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)]. COP28 hosted the first-ever day dedicated to food and agriculture during the second week, which is when the high-level discussions and agreements occur. This highlights the importance given to food and agriculture systems at the COP. Also, as reported by US Department of Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, there seemed to be less resistance to and more support for agriculture in past years when receptivity was rockier, and more focused on GHG emissions from agriculture, rather than solutions offered by agriculture. Why was there more support for agricultural solutions at this COP? I believe the answer is two-fold: political expediency and technical necessity.
Political expediency: After 28 annual COPs, governments are still failing to deliver necessary GHG reductions to avoid dangerous global warming, particularly from the 3 largest emitting sectors: energy (fossil fuels), transportation and buildings. That is a huge, ongoing, significant political failure. Yes, some notable progress was made; but it is not what was teed up by COP27 and previous COPS. The fact that COP28 was hosted by an oil-producing state was an easy signal that achieving consensus language to phase out fossil fuel use – the intended outcome – would not be achievable. So, the COP was bound to fail on this critical issue. The parties agreed instead to ambiguous language to “transition away from fossil fuels”.
Technical necessity: The continued political failure to phase out fossil fuels even after 28 annual COPs dedicated to that issue is why we are seeing dangerous climate impacts from unmitigated greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture, as a business done outdoors, is in the climate cross hairs. Our very survival globally depends on our ability to produce food. It is thus a global technical necessity that we address the necessary transformation of agricultural and food systems to be more resilient to climate change. There is no other option. Literally, our survival depends on it.
Billions of dollars of pledges were made at COP28 to support the transformation of food and ag systems to be more resilient to climate change. But agriculture is also a natural climate solution – and we saw commitments to research and finance to help deliver the support to farmers and ranchers to implement climate solutions.
The true test from here – over the next months leading up to COP29 – will be whether those commitments turn to actual cash and whether the infrastructure to deliver financial support and assistance to the world’s farmers and ranchers – including in the US – comes to fruition.
Some finance pathways will be more secure than others. For instance, we have seen a significant ongoing commitment and leadership by the Biden Administration to work on the food and agricultural climate agenda already, to the tune of billions of dollars of investments made. The ability of the US to leverage new global finance streams announced during the COP is more likely made based on the Administration’s leadership, plans and successes to date.
Read more thoughts on agriculture and COP28 on our website where I discuss specific commitments made relative to food and agricultural systems, provide a background primer on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the role of agriculture, discuss UNFCCC country-level commitments, highlight the historical sectoral focus of UNFCCC activities, and review the historical role of agriculture in the UNFCCC – which is the last sector to be included.
2023: A Year of Trailblazing Achievements for ESMC and Eco-Harvest
In this edition of the newsletter, we highlight some of our major achievements in 2023. We are thankful to our governance, team, members and partners who contributed to the remarkable strides in our program, reaffirming ESMC and ESMRC as a leading nonprofit on environmental stewardship and innovative market solutions.
At ESMC, our goal is to scale carbon and ecosystem markets for the agricultural supply chain. Our validated and verified program provides necessary transparency, credibility and integrity for corporates, producers, and all stakeholders across the supply chain. In 2022, we achieved program validation and verification under the SustainCERT Value Change Initiative for cropping systems in more than half the US regions. This initiative not only validated our approach but also equipped the program for a streamlined annual verification process.
Today, we stand on the cusp of a new chapter. Having completed another comprehensive audit and verification cycle, Eco-Harvest will continue to generate verified soil carbon removals and greenhouse gas reduction impacts for Scope 3 agri-food and supply chain reporting. Verified outcomes through Eco-Harvest align with science-based mitigation targets and the requirements of standard setting bodies. For ESMC-member reporting companies, Eco-Harvest offers a reliable metric to gauge environmental improvements and make valid claims towards achieving science-based commitments.
Non-Profit Trust and Integrity: Eco-Harvest’s MMRV System
The verification process includes an in-depth review of Eco-Harvest’s underlying digital architecture, including the end-to-end data flow and our measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) system. The vision and rigor of Eco-Harvest’s program sets it apart, reflecting years of meticulous work and unwavering dedication to the highest standards of environmental accountability.
Advancing Resilient Agricultural Supply Chains: Eco-Harvest’s Co-Investment and Co-Claiming Model
Verified scope 3 outcomes support collective success via Eco-Harvest’s co-claiming and co-investment models. The models enable the credible sharing of carbon and GHG benefits, enhancing the return on investment for each stakeholder and delivering on ESMC’s collective approach towards achieving climate goals.
Shared Success through Co-Claiming
Co-claiming in Eco-Harvest supports shared progress by allowing multiple partners to credibly share outcomes. We ensure that every contribution towards sustainability is acknowledged and valued and not double-counted. This model is made possible by calculating commodity-specific emissions factors at each stage of the product life cycle across the impact chain, allowing for accurate and equitable allocation of environmental impacts.
Eco-Harvest Projects See Significant Growth and Maturity
The Eco-Harvest program launched in 2022 and supports more than 20 crops and crop rotations – this year we expanded our acreage to over 790,000. The launch of our grazing systems and dairy programs in 2024 will build on our program and expand our impact across new commodities and regions.
Ag Data Transparent Certification Award
We are proud to announce that in December 2023, Eco-Harvest was awarded Ag Data Transparent Certification, underscoring our bedrock commitment to transparent program operations that protect producer data. ESMC’s Eco-Harvest market program is designed to work first and foremost for producers, and ADT certification highlights that data collected on the farm through Eco-Harvest is protected and used to benefit producers.
Commitment to Inclusion and Racial Justice
ESMC hired Doug Adams in 2023 to serve as the Manager for Diversity & Inclusion and lead ESMC’s programmatic and organizational initiatives for inclusion & racial justice (IRJ). Doug relaunched ESMC’s monthly IRJ Working Group that engages ESMC members & industry stakeholders. As part of Eco-Harvest, ESMC successfully enrolled 400 acres of cotton on Black-owned Bridgeforth Farms in partnership with Forum for the Future & the US Cotton Trust Protocol. Additionally, ESMC launched partnership-driven underserved producer outreach efforts through strategic engagement with TAD Consulting, the National Black Growers Council, Freedmen Heirs Foundation, Latino Farmers and Ranchers International, and the National Indian Carbon Coalition.
Science and Research Underpins all our Work
2023 has been an eventful year for our research arm, Ecosystem Services Market Research Consortium (ESMRC). We hired two new PhD scientists, Drs. Chris Smallwood (Chief Scientist) and Will Lytle (Research Director), who bring a wealth of experience and skills to guide our research and development work. We launched four new technical working groups exploring soil, water, grazing, and biodiversity, engaging members and exploring strategies to improve Eco-Harvest program offerings in these critical areas. The Working Groups are actively mapping pathways to operationalize grazing and biodiversity programming, with many exciting ideas under discussion. The working groups are helping us refine our strategies for soil sampling and improve our capabilities for water quality and water quantity outcomes. We look forward to continuing these vibrant discussions in 2024, and welcome new participation from our member organizations who would like to engage.
We released eight new reports in 2023 which explore valuable ideas for soil sampling, conservation funding prioritization, and for supply and demand of ecosystem services in the Western Range.
ESMC was an invited speaker and engaged in multiple professional events in 2023 to share our work and thought leadership in ecosystem services markets.
Many updates continue to occur in ESMRC as the technology for quantifying ecosystem services impacts progresses at a staggering rate. Our team of experts will continue working hard to bring forward the best offerings in a scientifically robust and scalable program that rewards farmers and ranchers to implement new practices that benefit society.
These are just some of our successes and learnings – take a look for more on our website.
ESMC and Partners Highlight Takeaways from First Eco-Harvest Biodiversity Project in Missouri
Over the past two years, ESMC worked with partners in Missouri to develop an Eco-Harvest pilot project to study opportunities to maintain and increase biodiversity outcomes on agricultural fields. The biodiversity pilot project studied outcomes metrics and producer compensation. Paying producers for improved biodiversity on agricultural lands increases opportunities to generate revenue on less productive portions of farms and helps provide critical habitat for wildlife restoration. This not only rewards producers but helps ESMC members throughout the agricultural value chain meet their environmental goals. Read the full announcement.
Job Opportunities to Join ESMC
If you or someone you know would like to join our team, ESMC has two positions open, including a Project Manager and a Protocol and Standards Manager. We encourage you to apply or circulate to potentially interested parties. Find more information and application details for these two positions on our website.
Look for ESMC At…..
National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) 78th Annual Meeting
February 10 – 14, 2024; San Diego, CA
NACD’s Annual Meeting is a premier event for leaders in conservation, from district officials and agency representatives to industry professionals. Each year, the meeting draws over 1,000 conservation leaders from across the United States and its territories. ESMC’s COO Alana Pacheco will co-lead a presentation with ESMC Legacy Partner member EarthOptics, entitled “Advancing Producer Engagement and MMRV in Ecosystem Services Markets: Lessons Learned from Three Years Conducting Projects.” Read more and register.
ESMC in the News
Agri-Pulse Newsmakers: Dec. 15, 2023: Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, Debbie Reed and Ernie Shea on COP28
ESMC’s Executive Director Debbie Reed joins other panelists to discuss agriculture and COP28 as well as what to watch in the time following the conference. Watch the segment (Debbie starts speaking at minute 13:00).
Midlands Voices: Conservation Efforts Need a Strong Farm Bill
Omaha World Herold (November 26)
Farms, forests and open spaces aren’t just American treasures — they are essential to the ranchers, farmers and landowners who feed us and depend on these lands for their livelihoods. Most of those lands are privately owned. In fact, about 70% of the land in the lower 48 states is privately owned. In Nebraska, this figure jumps to 97%. It is thanks to generations of private stewardship that the Sandhills can be celebrated as the largest remaining intact grassland in the world. And it is owing to the innovations of our row crop producers that we boast corn production with the lowest carbon footprint in the country. This is embodied in projects such as the Nebraska Soil Carbon Project, which will result in the adoption of over 100,000 acres of new soil health practices by 2025 – ESMC is highlighted as a partner in this project. Read the full article.
ESMC Member and Funder News
Global Food Companies Join EDF for a Groundbreaking Step on Dairy Methane
EDF (December 5)
Six global food companies stepped forward at the UN climate conference to announce a powerful alliance to help dairy farmers reduce methane emissions and make farming more sustainable. Industry leaders the Bel Group, Danone, General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Lactalis USA, and Nestlé joined with Environmental Defense Fund to announce the launch of the Dairy Methane Action Alliance, a historic alliance of global food companies committing to help reduce and account for the methane emissions in their dairy supply chains. Read the full announcement. General Mills and Nestlé are ESMC Founding Circle members and Danone is an ESMC Legacy Partner member.
Scope 3 Research Report
SustainCERT (November 30)
A recent report from ESMC technical partner SustainCERT explores the landscape of Scope 3 emissions reporting and reductions projects across 500 large organizations in the US and Europe. Conducted between August and October 2023, the study combines both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to provide a holistic view of the current state of play, challenges and opportunities within Scope 3 emission projects and reporting. The research reveals a nuanced outlook for Scope 3 emissions reporting, current levels of investment in projects, or ‘interventions’, and the role that verification plays. Read the full article and download the report.
Newtrient Awarded Over $18M to Accelerate Methane Emission Reductions on Farms in Midwest and Idaho
Newtrient (November 28)
On November 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (an ESMC funder) awarded Newtrient (an ESMC Legacy Partner member) three grants totaling over $18 million in funding to support dairy methane emission reduction projects in the Midwest and Idaho. The funding is part of the USDA’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) which awarded more than $1 billion in funding to 81 projects, including 10 dairy centric projects. Read the full announcement.
Ohio State Professor Rattan Lal Aims to Eliminate Hunger While Helping the Environment
Columbus Monthly (November 28)
The internationally renowned researcher and World Food Prize winner, Dr. Rattan Lal (and an ESMC Board Member) views soil health as a vehicle to solve food insecurity and climate change. This profile highlights his long career in, and dedication towards, improved soil health.
Other News of Note
‘Food Is Finally on the Table’: COP28 Addressed Agriculture in a Real Way
The Guardian (December 17)
Roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to food systems, but COP had avoided agreements until now. This time, the conference opened with a declaration on sustainable agriculture signed by more than 130 countries. For the first time ever, it featured a whole day devoted to food and agriculture and saw a food systems road map laid out by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Perhaps most strikingly, the final agreement document that was revealed at the end of the conference acknowledged sustainable agriculture as a part of responding appropriately to climate change. Read the full article.
Comment: The Final COP28 Text Misses One Crucial Word – Soil
Reuters (December 14)
The fossil fuel phase out is dominating coverage of COP28 and has been the focus of the final declaration. However, at this year’s COP, we have seen food systems take a central role in climate discussions for the first time. A total of 158 nations have endorsed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, committing to integrate food into their climate plans by 2025. This is a triumph and cause for celebration. However, there remains a critical omission from the final COP28 agreement: the word “soil”. Why does this matter? Healthy soil is the largest terrestrial carbon sink on the planet. Read the full article.
Here’s The UN’s Roadmap for Agriculture to Reach Net-Zero Emissions
Agriculture Dive (December 11)
A landmark report released by the UN FAO at COP28 says wholesale changes to production practices and diets will be needed to keep temperatures in check while ensuring food security needs are met. Read the full article.
Bezos Earth Fund Announces $57 Million for the Future of Food, Supporting Bold Action for Food Systems Transformation as Part of $1 Billion Commitment
Bezos Earth Fund (December 1)
COP28 kicks off a vital global conversation about food and its role in shaping the future of our planet. Read the full announcement.
Why Regenerative Agriculture Is Only a Part of the Answer to Sustainable Food Systems
GreenBiz (November 30)
No single solution can solve our food and climate challenges. Read the full article.
Airlines Race Toward a Future of Powering Their Jets with Corn
NY Times (November 30)
Carriers want to replace jet fuel with ethanol to fight global warming. That would require lots of corn, and lots of water. Read the full article.
New VCMI Guidance Opens Door for Corporate Carbon Credit Claims
Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (November 28)
Last month, the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) released additional guidance for its Claims Code of Practice (Claims Code) enabling companies to make claims about their use of high-quality carbon credits. This guidance includes a Monitoring, Reporting and Assurance (MRA) Framework, a brand and associated mark for making ‘Carbon Integrity’ Claims, and a beta version of an additional claim. Read the full announcement.
2023 State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Report: Paying for Quality
Ecosystem Marketplace (November 28)
In the lead-up to COP28, Ecosystem Marketplace published its flagship 2023 State of the Voluntary Carbon Markets report covering the latest prices, trends, and insights related to international voluntary carbon markets. Read more and download the report.
Building a Case for Investment in Regenerative Agriculture on Indigenous Farms
Civil Eats (November 20)
A unique three-year project from the Environmental Defense Fund and the Intertribal Agriculture Council hopes to yield quantitative data about the costs and benefits of regenerative practices. Read the full article.
