ESMC’s Eco-Harvest Project Partners with AGI to Improve Farmer Data Services for Scope 3 Agricultural Carbon Outcomes
October 23, 2024: Wheat farmers participating in an Eco-Harvest project on more than 60,000 acres in south central and southwestern Kansas are on the front lines of regenerative agriculture and innovative technology. By participating in Eco-Harvest and implementing conservation practices such as reduced tillage and cover crops, farmers earn income for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and increased soil carbon. To ensure outcomes are accurate, Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) is partnering with Ag Growth International (AGI) to streamline data collection by installing passive uplink connection (PUC) tools on farm machinery.
The AGI Farmobile® PUC® is a plug-and-play device that automatically captures field-level, agronomic and machine data. As farmers work, the device streams data via cellular networks from the cab to the cloud where AGI’s DataEngine platform organizes, standardizes and delivers data directly to ESMC’s measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) platform. AGI’s device significantly reduces the time farmers and project partners spend collecting and submitting data to confirm practice changes. By digitally recording every pass on a field, farmer users create a digital system-of-record proving how a crop is produced. Collected year-over-year it helps tell a farm’s crop story. Interest in using AGI’s Farmobile PUC technology is growing as more farmers see the advantages of streamlined data uploads.
Matt Canny, a participating grower in the Eco-Harvest project in Western Kansas noted, “For us, it is nice to keep track of all tractors and equipment and make sure product is applied correctly in the LIVE view. It (the mobile dashboard) is easily accessible and, truthfully, easier to access than other similar technology. Also, the PUC helps with data collection and ensures the right inputs are being put where they belong."
David Postill, SVP of AGI Digital, says AGI is honored to collaborate with ESMC on projects that showcase the three-legged stool of sustainability success – farmers, environment and ag-food value chain. “Our shared objective is to support U.S. farmers in their adoption of value-added stewardship practices and promote technologies that generate verifiable field-level data to support sustainability goals and ease and enable participation.”
In addition to AGI, project partners include General Mills and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) supported by the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts (KACD) and Understanding Ag. All participating farmers are within General Mills’ wheat supply shed.
Debbie Reed, ESMC Executive Director, noted, “We know certain practice changes improve the environmental footprint of agriculture and increase resiliency on farm, but they take time and effort to implement. Eco-Harvest measures and uses 3rd party verification of outcomes so agribusinesses can credibly reduce their Scope 3 emissions. Measurement and verification requires data inputs from farmers, which takes time and effort. AGI’s on-the-ground technology significantly increases project efficiency to reduce data collection burdens and increase profitability for farmers. Through our partnership with AGI, we will continue to innovate to make Scope 3 work for agriculture.”
Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC)/Ecosystem Services Market Research Consortium (ESMRC) is a non-profit agricultural supply chain market program. Our innovative public-private partnership is transforming decarbonization along the agricultural supply chain through collective action and shared investments. Eco-Harvest, ESMC’s voluntary market program, is an accredited end-to-end digitized solution to decarbonize agriculture. The program incentivizes, quantifies, and verifies (through independent third-party experts) carbon, greenhouse gas and water outcomes annually, paying farmers from the sale of Scope 3 outcomes (impact units) to corporates. www.ecosystemservicesmarket.org.
AGI Company Profile
Ag Growth International (AGI) is a provider of the equipment, system solutions and technologies required to support the efficient storage, transport, and processing of grain, feed, seed, fertilizer, and food globally. AGI's digital technology operation is located in Lenexa, KS. A leader in farm and commercial equipment, AGI maintains worldwide manufacturing facilities and product distribution in Canada, the United States, Brazil, India, France, and Italy. Learn about AGI at www.aggrowth.com.