Agoro Carbon has announced its inaugural issuance of soil carbon removal credits across US cropland and pastureland projects, marking the first credit delivery under its 12-year, 2.6 million-credit agreement with Microsoft signed in June 2025.
The 2021 and 2022 vintage credits were issued following formal validation and verification by Verra under the VM0042 Improved Agricultural Land Management methodology (v2). The projects – VCS 3634 (cropland) and VCS 3656 (pastureland) – represent one of the largest corporate soil-based carbon removal commitments executed in the voluntary carbon market.
Spanning 2.5 million acres across 34 states and involving more than 600 producers, Agoro’s program incentivizes farming and ranching practices such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and managed grazing to build durable soil carbon stock.
To accelerate producer adoption, Agoro has disbursed over $30 million in transition prepayments to date, providing upfront capital alongside 10-year producer contracts and ongoing field agronomic guidance.
Data-Driven Measurement and Methodological Transition
Agoro’s carbon accounting framework integrates GPS-verified physical soil sampling, process-based modeling, and independent third-party audits.
The company has collected over 110,000 baseline soil core samples analyzed via dry combustion, achieving an average margin of error of 7.06% at a 90% confidence interval across enrolled acreage.
“At Agoro, we compete on integrity. Our quality-driven, farmer-focused approach is backed by rigorous science in how we design and monitor our projects,” said Elliot Formal, CEO of Agoro Carbon. “That is what a premium carbon removal credit looks like, and it is what our buyers are choosing when they work with us.”
Relevant: Microsoft Signs New Forestry Credits Deal With Aurora And Anew
“This issuance reflects a rigorous, data-driven pathway from soil sample to verified credit under VM0042, and it’s a strong signal that U.S. agriculture can deliver high-integrity carbon removals at scale,” added Verra CEO Mandy Rambharos.
Agoro plans to transition its project pipeline to Verra’s VM0042 v3 methodology upon publication in early 2027, positioning future credit issuances for assessment under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market‘s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles.
Read more: Microsoft Commits To 2.6M Tons Of Soil Carbon Removal Credits
