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Green Carbon, Inc. (CEO: Jun Okita; hereinafter referred to as "Green Carbon")—a company engaged in the development and sale of nature-based carbon credits—has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with U.S.-based agri-climate tech firm Regrow Agriculture, Inc. (Chief Strategy Officer: Bill Salas; hereinafter “Regrow”) to collaborate on technology that enables the creation of high-quality carbon credits.
By integrating Regrow’s DNDC model*¹—which enables precise identification of agriculture-derived greenhouse gas emissions—with Green Carbon’s one-stop carbon credit platform “Agreen”*², the aim is to generate highly reliable carbon credits that meet international standards.
This collaboration will first be applied to paddy rice methane-reduction projects in Asia where Green Carbon is promoting AWD (Alternate Wetting and Drying)*³ irrigation practices.
Background of MOU and Technical Collaboration Overview
Green Carbon develops nature-based carbon credit projects mainly in Southeast Asia, including forest conservation, rice paddies, mangrove reforestation, methane reduction from livestock, and biochar initiatives. The company develops credit generation projects suited to each region’s natural resource characteristics, using satellite data for optimal site selection and project monitoring, ensuring efficient and transparent project management.
Rice farming is one of the highest agricultural sources of methane emissions. By introducing water management practices like AWD, it is possible to reduce emissions and increase water-use efficiency, resulting in carbon credit generation. These outcomes become even more robust when combined with satellite-based MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) systems.
To further scale these results, Green Carbon has signed an MOU with Regrow to integrate their DNDC model and accelerate carbon credit project development across Southeast Asia and globally in the agricultural sector.
Technical Collaboration and Roles
Agreen, developed by Green Carbon, collects agricultural data (such as water and fertilizer usage) necessary for carbon credit generation directly from farmers and includes a satellite-based water level analysis feature. However, emission calculation had been limited to select fields under existing methodologies. Under this new MOU, by linking Agreen with Regrow’s DNDC model through API integration, it will now be possible to calculate methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for all registered paddy fields.
This integration allows Agreen to present highly accurate data—unachievable with other platforms—to meet the needs of credit buyers seeking high-quality carbon credits. In essence, Green Carbon will automate the entire process from data collection to carbon credit issuance and sales, handling high-precision data in a world-first approach.
Roles:
- Green Carbon is responsible for on-the-ground project development, securing local partners, and managing carbon credit issuance.
- Regrow provides technical support through its DNDC (DeNitrification-DeComposition) model, enabling quantification of GHG emissions, soil carbon dynamics, and nutrient cycling in farmland, along with API-based integration.
Project Phases
The first phase will begin with paddy field projects in Vietnam (listed under Verra⁴ and Gold Standard⁵) and JCM*⁶ (Joint Crediting Mechanism) projects in the Philippines. By 2030, this initiative will expand across Southeast Asia and beyond, incorporating not only AWD but also other methodologies like biochar and carbon farming.
This collaboration is expected to promote environmentally responsible farming practices, increase farmer participation in carbon credit markets, improve their earnings, and contribute to global decarbonization goals.
"By combining Regrow’s DNDC modeling and MRV expertise with Green Carbon’s on-the-ground experience and networks, we can make practical emission reduction approaches like AWD both scientifically credible and operationally feasible,"
said Bill Salas, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder at Regrow. "We aim to improve the credibility and scalability of the carbon market in agriculture, delivering benefits for both farmers and the climate."
About Green Carbon
Green Carbon operates with the vision of “Saving the Earth with the Power of Life,” providing comprehensive support from carbon credit creation and registration to sales. Additionally, we are involved in agriculture-related businesses, research and development, and ESG consulting. We are actively generating carbon credits through methane gas reduction in rice paddies, with Japan’s first and largest J-Credit certification (approx. 6,220 tons) and plans to expand to 50,000 hectares in fiscal year 2024. Our Agreen platform simplifies credit registration and management for credit creators.
About Regrow
Regrow powers Agriculture Resilience for today’s leading retailers, CPGs, processors, and farmers. Named one of the TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023, Regrow’s rapidly growing list of partners includes Cargill, General Mills, Nestle and Kellanova. With Regrow’s Agriculture Resilience Platform, companies across the ag supply chain gain the ability to assure their supply chains by accelerating the needed scale of GHG emissions reduction, adoption of regenerative farming practices, and proactive adaptation to the changing climate. A member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Regrow has been named the No. 1 Most Innovative Company in Agriculture on Fast Company’s list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2023 and ranked 328 on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
Notes:
- ¹ DNDC model: A scientific model that simulates soil carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry to estimate greenhouse gas emissions.
- ² Agreen: A platform by Green Carbon that supports carbon credit creation by collecting field data and integrating it with remote sensing.
- ³ AWD (Alternate Wetting and Drying): A rice farming irrigation practice that reduces methane emissions.
- ⁴ Verra: A major international carbon standard.
- ⁵ Gold Standard: Another internationally recognized carbon standard focused on sustainable development.
- ⁶ JCM (Joint Crediting Mechanism): A bilateral offset mechanism promoted by the Japanese government.
