Amazon Buys Carbon Credits from Indian Rice Farmers

New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Amazon has signed a long-term agreement to purchase carbon credits from The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA), a sustainability-focused group working with smallholder rice farmers across India to reduce methane emissions.

Under the deal, Amazon will serve as the primary buyer for more than 685,000 tonnes of CO2-equivalent carbon credits during the initial crediting phase, supporting efforts to curb methane released by flooded paddy fields - a practice that accounts for 8-10 per cent of global methane emissions, it said in a statement.

India is the world's third-largest methane emitter and has the largest area of rice cultivation globally, supporting more than 100 million livelihoods.

TGRA works with over 13,000 smallholder farmers across multiple Indian states, covering more than 35,000 hectares of farmland. The programme trains farmers in water-management techniques such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), which can reduce irrigation water use by up to 30 per cent.


Methane carries a global warming potential more than 27 times that of carbon dioxide, making near-term cuts significant for slowing climate change this decade.

"Methane is a super pollutant that demands our attention now," said Michelle Jolly, Amazon's Director of Sustainability Solutions and Services, adding that the agreement would deliver "real climate impact" through auditable field measurements and independent verification.

Carbon credits under the programme are verified by Verra's Verified Carbon Standard using the VM0051 methodology for improved rice management. Field data is cross-validated against satellite-based soil moisture and water records.

TGRA is a partnership that includes Bayer South Asia. The alliance also collaborates with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) on direct field-based methane measurement.