Paris-based CarbonFarm has raised nearly $8 million (7 million euros) in a Series A round to expand its work cutting methane emissions from rice cultivation. The round was led by Colam Impact, with participation from Proparco, Suma Capital, elea, Working Capital Fund, Albo, BPI France, and existing investors. The company plans to use the funding to grow operations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, where it already works with partners like Mars Food, Diageo, Ebro, and Tilda across 19 countries. Rice farming is a major source of methane, accounting for roughly 12% of human-caused methane emissions worldwide, according to CarbonFarm. The company promotes water management practices such as periodic field drainage instead of continuous flooding, which it says can cut emissions by up to 50% and reduce water use by up to 30% without hurting yields. CarbonFarm works with local producers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses to develop and finance high-integrity rice projects. The funding round shows continued investor interest in agricultural methane abatement and carbon finance tied to measurable emissions cuts. CarbonFarm says scale will come from equipping local value-chain players rather than replacing them, which will be worth watching as it expands across rice-producing regions.
