Isometric Certifies Grazing Lands Module for Soil Carbon Removal

Isometric has certified a new Grazing Lands Management Module under its Improved Soil Management Protocol, creating a framework for issuing carbon removal certificates from practices including rotational grazing, improved forage, water management and brush management. Projects must demonstrate measurable increases in soil carbon, account for changes in livestock and feed emissions, pass additionality tests and provide enrolled landowners with at least 20% of project revenues. Grassroots Carbon and Cultivo are the first developers signed up to use the module.

 

The Module Sets a Higher Bar for Measuring Soil Carbon

 

Projects can demonstrate soil carbon gains either by repeatedly sampling fixed locations or by using independently validated biogeochemical models checked against soil measurements at least every five years. The requirement is intended to give buyers evidence that credited removals reflect changes in carbon stored in the soil rather than assumptions based only on farming practices.

Projects must also show that the management approach was not already in place or common practice and pass the Improved Soil Management Protocol’s financial additionality test. Agricultural productivity is measured against a regional benchmark so wider conditions such as drought do not distort results, while additional emissions from livestock methane or imported feed must be included when calculating net carbon removal.

 

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Grazing Practices Can Qualify Without Prescribing One Farming Model

 

The module does not require one specific grazing method. Rotational or adaptive grazing, deep-rooted forage species, water management and brush control can all qualify where they lead to verified increases in soil carbon.

That flexibility reflects the differences between grazing systems and local conditions. A practice that works on one ranch may not suit another, but the carbon accounting requirements remain consistent. Isometric says this allows land managers to choose the intervention while keeping the certification focused on measured outcomes.

 

Landowner Revenue Sharing Is Built Into the Standard

 

The framework also includes environmental and social safeguards, including continued community engagement and a minimum 20% revenue share for participating landowners. That recognises that ranchers and land managers are responsible for maintaining the practices and carbon stocks on which the certificates depend.

The structure adds a livelihood component to the carbon-removal model. Soil projects can require long-term changes in land management, so ensuring that landowners receive a defined share of project revenues may affect whether those practices remain economically attractive over time.

 

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Grassroots Carbon and Cultivo Bring Existing Scale

 

Grassroots Carbon works with more than 340 ranching families across 22 US states and manages programmes covering more than 1.2 million hectares. The company says it has already paid ranchers $40 million for increasing soil carbon and expects cumulative payments to exceed $68 million by the end of 2026.

“The more than 260 million hectares of U.S. grazing lands represent an extraordinary opportunity to deliver measurable carbon removal at scale while strengthening ranching livelihoods, improving water outcomes, and supporting biodiversity,” said Brad Tipper, CEO of Grassroots Carbon.

Cultivo has more than 800,000 hectares of US grasslands under contract and is backed by a $100 million capital deployment from Octopus Energy Generation. Its participation gives the module another large portfolio through which the measurement rules can be tested.

“Soil carbon only works at scale if buyers can trust the numbers,” said Dr. Manuel Piñuela, CEO and co-founder of Cultivo. “The Grazing Lands Management Module requires soil carbon gains to be demonstrated through direct sampling or validated models, and issues certificates on a conservative basis.”

 

The First Projects Will Test Buyer Confidence in Soil Carbon

 

The module follows a 30-day public consultation involving buyers, suppliers and academics and was developed with Isometric’s in-house science team and its independent network of more than 500 academic experts. It is the second supporting module under Isometric’s Improved Soil Management Protocol, following certification of the Cropland Management Module in July 2026.

The next test will be whether projects operating under the new rules can deliver removals that buyers view as sufficiently measurable and durable. With Grassroots Carbon and Cultivo already bringing large land portfolios into the framework, the module will quickly move from methodology design into practical application.

 

Source: Isometric