Grassroots Carbon pays ranchers for regenerative land management practices
Grassroots Carbon empowers ranchers to implement and maintain practices that support carbon storage while improving grassland ecology, promoting biodiversity and improving animal health.
Courtesy Grassroots Carbon
Grasslands soil carbon company Grassroots Carbon has paid ranchers $3 million from its 2023 soil carbon drawdown credits. The company partners with U.S. cattle and bison ranchers to empower them to implement and maintain regenerative land management practices that support carbon storage while improving grassland ecology, promoting biodiversity and improving animal health. In total, Grassroots Carbon has paid ranchers approximately $5 million since the company's founding in 2021.
The company helps ranchers earn income from high-quality soil carbon drawdown credits when they sign up with Grassroots Carbon and make a commitment to implement and maintain regenerative practices. These practices can include grazing management, frequent herd rotations, and reduction of chemical inputs. All of these regenerative practices are proven to improve soil health, ecology, soil water retention and biodiversity, which ultimately increases the amount of atmospheric carbon stored in the soil.
"Working with Grassroots Carbon gives my family an opportunity to monetize our commitment to taking care of the land. We see improved soil health and boost the ranch's productivity all while generating income through carbon credits. In the near future, for the first time in 100 years, we might see the money made from surface land production exceed income from minerals, real estate, or other infrastructure developments. I believe soil carbon credits can help families hold onto their legacy ranches and the Texas ranching traditions, which is very important for me and both sides of my family who have been ranching for far over 100 years," said James Clement, whose family-owned ranch in Falfurrias, Texas, partners with Grassroots Carbon's program.
"Through selling carbon credits with Grassroots Carbon, we've gained crucial working capital that steadies us through ranching's seasonal rhythms. More importantly, working with Grassroots Carbon has deeply resonated with our core values. Together, we are committed to nurturing the land, enhancing its legacy, and discovering sustainable practices that benefit our grass, our animals, and our future[,]" said Vannie Collins, whose Las Islas Ranch in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas began working with Grassroots Carbon early in the company's history.
"We've witnessed extraordinary work that our partner ranchers have accomplished in restoring ecosystems, enriching biodiversity, improving the overall health and well-being of their cattle which ultimately improves the quality of our food systems with regeneratively raised meat. We are extremely humbled to be in a position to support, acknowledge and reward this incredible community of land stewards for their remarkable progress." said Grassroots Carbon CEO Brad Tipper.
Source: Grassroots Carbon
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