Agreena has secured a seven-year agreement to sell 4.45 million tonnes of soil carbon credits to one of the world’s largest commodity trading houses in what the Danish company described as the biggest publicly disclosed deal of its kind in agricultural carbon.
The agreement covers farmland in northern Kazakhstan’s grain-producing belt, where Agreena plans to bring 1.6 million hectares (3.95 million acres) under regenerative farming practices by 2028. Revenue from the contract is expected to help farmers shift away from conventional practices while restoring soil health and improving the resilience of their operations.
The project, AgreenaCarbon Kazakhstan, has begun validation under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard using the VM0042 methodology for improved agricultural land management. It is Agreena’s second Verra project.
Long-Term Demand Drives Forward Contracts
The deal reflects a shift in the carbon market toward longer-term purchasing commitments as buyers seek access to larger volumes of credits before they are issued. Agreena said its experience working with farmers across about five million hectares positions it to supply both immediate and forward-market demand.
Kazakhstan’s northern grain belt contains some of Central Asia’s richest soils, but decades of conventional agriculture have reduced humus levels by an estimated 28% to 30%, according to the company.
The planned farming changes include reduced tillage, residue retention and cover crops. Agreena says reduced tillage can cut diesel use by 40 to 60 liters per hectare, while keeping crop residues on fields helps retain moisture in an area receiving about 300 to 450 millimeters of annual rainfall.
Relevant: Agreena’s Soil Carbon Project Confirmed BBB After Delivering 2.3M Verified Credits
The project is also expected to reduce pollution from stubble burning and benefit biodiversity. The surrounding grasslands provide habitat for species including the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing and endangered Steppe Eagle.
“A seven-year agreement provides infrastructure, enabling farmers in Kazakhstan to change how they farm with an economic safety net,” said Agreena’s chief commercial officer Frederik Aagaard.
“A buyer of this scale only commits to those terms when it is confident the supply will be delivered,” Aagaard added, citing the company’s robust digital measurement, reporting and verification (dMRV) technology and the team and expertise behind it.
Read more: New AlliedOffsets Report Looks Into Soil Carbon’s 2026 Momentum
