Protocols

ESMC’s protocol sets a monetary value on four environmental benefits farmers and rancher can generate on their land: added soil carbon, reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, and increases in water quality and quantity. All of these benefits flow from good soil health.

Eco-Harvest sells impact units for soil carbon and net greenhouse gas impact units generated through a scientifically rigorous, standards-based, and cost-effective framework that meets corporate sustainability and reporting standards. Read a summary of ESMC’s Protocol (updated August 2023).

ESMC’s protocol includes numerous adaptations that cover regional differences throughout the United States. Progress to date includes coverage of all agricultural production systems in the Southern Great Plains and in the Midwestern corn and soy region. The protocol describes how ranchers and farmers can quantify, monitor, report, verify and register impact units generated on their working lands.

ESMC will add new attributes such as biodiversity and habitat conservation to the protocol in the near future.

The technical brief summarizing the assessment of quantification tools and models, protocols, and methodologies, which preceded the development of ESMC Protocol, may be found here.