India Disburses Rs 2.9 Crore in Soil Carbon Credits to 2,550 Farmers Across Punjab and Haryana

India has started paying farmers for verified soil carbon credits. The Ministry of Agriculture distributed over Rs 2.9 crore to 2,550 small farmers in Punjab and Haryana through direct bank transfers. The payments come from the 'Aadi' program run by Grow Indigo with ICAR's technical support, covering around 30,000 acres and more than 50,000 carbon credits. Farmers earned between Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000 each by adopting regenerative practices like Direct Seeded Rice, reduced tillage, and crop residue management between 2019 and 2022. The carbon reductions were measured and independently verified under the Verra VM0042 methodology. The program now spans over two million acres and 100,000 farmers across seven states. The scheme also claims co-benefits like saving 45 billion litres of water and preventing stubble burning that would have emitted around 1,000 tonnes of PM2.5. Farmers could choose an upfront payment or 75% of net carbon revenue after sale, with Grow Indigo fronting the cash to speed up disbursement.