Verification Standards
Climate Beneficial™ Verified provides direct technical and financial support to farmers and ranchers for the implementation of carbon farming practices.
Climate Beneficial™ works to support the transition of whole farms to more ecologically aligned, regionally situated and socially resilient systems. Our monitoring and measurement tools are used to annually track and verify the continual improvement and innovative work that our producer community has embarked upon to stabilize our climate while producing high quality fiber and food.
Whole Farm Planning
Climate Beneficial™ verification starts with whole farm planning. A Carbon Farm Plan is a site-specific living document that serves as a practical, field- level planning tool to build on-farm capacity long term. Whole Farm Plans:
increase terrestrial carbon (vegetation + soils) ∙ reduce the production of GHGs ∙ identify appropriate conservation practices ∙ quantify practices using COMET and IPCC calculation tools
Monitoring + Practice Implementation
Annual onsite visits and soil tests are conducted by a regional Technical Assistance Provider (TAP). Our Technical Assistance training and implementation partner is Carbon Cycle Institute. Common Monitoring Methods include:
GPS tagged photos and videos ∙ on-farm inspection ∙ producer records or receipts ∙ record audits ∙ satellite imagery
Certification of Verification
After practices are verified each year, a farm or ranch receives a Certificate of Verification (CoV), which connects practices, outcomes, and fiber volumes. The CoV includes:
farm information ∙ practices implemented ∙ verified acreage ∙ verified volume ∙ soil test results + data trends analysis ∙ water quality metrics∙ summary of estimated GHG benefit associated with participation
Brands
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Climate Beneficial™ is built on a connection to each farmʼs place and community. The verification traces fibers back to the farm and tracks fibers throughout the supply system, allowing buyers to know their fiber farmers and connect consumers to the origin of their fiber.
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Producers implement plans, monitor, and report on results. Each practice is mapped against these Climate Beneficial™ Verification (CBV) Outcome categories in order to support growers in an implementation strategy that will allow them to achieve holistic outcomes. Growers in the program report on their farming practices, conduct annual soil testing and measure greenhouse gas reductions using COMET planner. The Climate Beneficial™ team verifies practices and outcomes and makes data available to purchasing partners.
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We build relationships between farmers, brands, researchers, and manufacturers - working to cultivate cross-sector learning, knowledge sharing, and pre-competitive collaboration. We support brands with storytelling and consumer and internal education. From high quality image sharing to claims and marketing support we help brands tell our participating farmers’ stories.
Farmers
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Incentivized support with 100% of market+ price premium going back to farm to cover the cost of practice implementation, advanced purchase commitments, and technical assistance to growers.
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Producers who participate in the Climate Beneficial™ program work closely with a Technical Assistance Provider (TAP) to engage in holistic farm planning, site assessment, and baseline testing, in order to best equip them to succeed in the practices and transitions on their landscapes. TAPʼs work on site to assess the effectiveness of practice implementation, brainstorm project development, and effectively submit evidence and data for the Climate Beneficial™ Verification requirements.
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From federal funding (USDA grants like the Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities) to state dollars (California’s Healthy Soils Program block grant) our Technical Service Providers work to connect farmers in our program with matching funds for practice implementation when possible.
Climate
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Carbon is an essential building block to all life. When carbon is displaced from its natural cycle through extraction of fossil fuels and the addition of synthetic amendments such as pesticides it offers an indication of imbalance within the system. By supporting these essential components of the carbon cycle (plant mass and biodiversity and soil carbon) we not only support climate change mitigation but also ecosystem function.
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From depletion to collective abundance, we are sowing a future of change one watershed restoration project, compost application, multi-species cover crop or hedgerow planting at a time. The regenerative practices in our program rebuild soil health and function - increasing the soil’s water holding capacity, reducing reliance on synthetic nitrogen, eliminating glyphosate and other harmful chemicals to improve water quality and storage for all.
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From long term native plantings like hedgerow and windbreaks, to pollinator stops, agroforestry, and multi-species cover crops; the practices in our program bring biodiversity back to working landscapes while enhancing the overall function of each grower’s operation. These integrated practices mirror the regeneration of soil health and carbon storage below ground with migratory bird and pollinator habitat above ground.
Climate Beneficial™ Program Pipeline
Place-Based Practices
With the support of a regionally-based Technical Assistance Provider, each grower selects site-specific cropland or rangeland practices based on their Whole Farm Plan.
