More than 2,550 farmers in Punjab and Haryana have received their first soil-carbon payments, totaling over ₹2.9 crore, for shifting to practices like direct-seeded rice and residue management. The credits were issued under Verra's VM0042 methodology, covering about 30,000 acres, with individual payouts ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹15,000. Grow Indigo paid farmers upfront from its own funds, so they didn't have to wait for credit sales. The programme, launched in 2019, now spans over 100,000 farmers across seven states. Payments are tied to measured environmental results, not just practice adoption. The initiative also reports water savings of 45 billion litres and avoided residue burning, though these are programme estimates. Key challenges ahead include measurement costs, revenue transparency, and ensuring farmers maintain practices over the long term to keep carbon stored.
