Spotlight project
RegenConnect
At Veramaris, we source 100% of our dextrose from Cargill, a leading global agribusiness company. In early 2023, we joined Cargill’s RegenConnect program, aimed at mitigating climate change, regenerating soil, and improving water use.
Cargill RegenConnect promotes regenerative agricultural practices among farmers, such as no-till farming, reduced-tillage techniques, and the use of cover crops. These practices help sequester carbon in the soil, improve soil resilience, and minimize water use. Participating farmers receive compensation for implementing these practices which not only helps the environment today, but improves the soil for future generations.
Through our collaboration with Cargill and the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices, we have achieved verified reductions in our Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While insetting a portion of our Scope 3 emissions incurs additional costs, we are resolutely committed to reducing our emissions wherever possible. Our participation in RegenConnect represents the first step in this ongoing commitment.
What is regenerative agriculture to Veramaris?
Regenerative agriculture are farming practices that conserve ecosystems, boost soil health, and improve biodiversity and “on top” enable the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via sequestration in the soil. Hence, regenerative agriculture practices lead to long-term benefits for the farmer and the local ecosystem while having the potential to make a substantial contribution to our Scope 3 emissions reduction targets.
The largest share of Veramaris’ carbon footprint is associated with the production of our raw materials, which falls under Scope 3.
Collaborating with suppliers who commit to regenerative agriculture practices is an important step towards meeting our SBTi commitments.
Get the inside story from the project leader
“Regenerative agriculture helps Veramaris to reduce its Scope 3 emissions through insetting.”
What benefit does Veramaris’ partnership with Cargill bring for the aquaculture value chain?
By promoting regenerative agricultural practices, we are helping farmers not only to revitalize the soil health of their fields but also sequester carbon. This way, the carbon footprint of one of our main raw materials can be reduced.
What’s the project’s long-term goal?
Cargill is committed to enabling farmers to adopt regenerative agriculture practices across 10 million acres of land in North America by 2030. This, in turn, helps Veramaris to reduce its Scope 3 GHG emissions through insetting – so reducing the emissions within Veramaris’ own value chain – and thus to get closer to achieving Veramaris’ climate targets.
Why are initiatives like this important for the aquaculture industry?
Not only does this bring positive environmental benefits, which is important as we work to decarbonize our value chain, but it also increases the resilience of farming practices, thereby future-proofing the aquaculture industry.
Are there any challenges in accounting for emissions reductions from regenerative agriculture?
For soil carbon sequestration to have a positive effect on the climate, long-term storage is critical. The GHG Protocol – the main guidance body for carbon accounting – addressed this by integrating a permanence principle into its 2022 draft of the Land Sector and Removal Guidance. By implementing a Reversal Reporting Plan, Cargill aims at ensuring a long-term storage. In 2024, the GHG Protocol plans to publish its Land Sector and Removals Guidance, then the exact requirements for an accurate carbon accounting of carbon sequestration will become clear. This will help Veramaris to pursue its climate strategy in line with the latest carbon accounting guidelines.
