• The seven-year agreement covers 4.5 million metric tons of CO2e, making it the largest publicly disclosed agricultural carbon deal to date.
• Agreena expects 1.6 million hectares of Kazakh farmland to adopt regenerative management by 2028.
• Farmers could save 40 to 60 liters of diesel per hectare while improving soil health, water retention and biodiversity.

Seven-year deal targets agricultural carbon at scale

Soil carbon platform Agreena has secured a record agricultural carbon agreement spanning seven years and Kazakhstan’s vast grain belt.

The contract covers 4.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in soil carbon credits. Agreena described it as the largest publicly shared agreement in the agricultural carbon market to date. It is also among the sector’s longest commitments.

The credits will come from AgreenaCarbon Kazakhstan, registered as Verra project 6105. It is Agreena’s second project under Verra, following project 4022. That earlier initiative became the first large-scale agricultural cropland project registered under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard in January 2025.

For carbon buyers, the commitment offers access to future credit supply from a sector that remains difficult to develop at scale. For farmers, the seven-year term provides greater financial certainty as they change production methods.

“This is a defining moment for Agreena and for the carbon market, as soil carbon cements its role at scale,” said Frederik Aagaard, chief commercial officer, Agreena. “A seven-year agreement provides infrastructure, enabling farmers in Kazakhstan to change how they farm with an economic safety net.”

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Financing the transition on 1.6 million hectares

Agreena expects 1.6 million hectares, or 3.95 million acres, to be under regenerative management by 2028. The land sits within Kazakhstan’s grain-producing region, where soils contain some of Central Asia’s largest carbon reserves.

Those soils have also sustained considerable damage. According to the company, decades of conventional farming have reduced regional humus content by an estimated 28% to 30%.

Restoring that productive base requires financing, technical knowledge, infrastructure and market incentives. Agreena’s model connects carbon buyers with farmers while using digital measurement, reporting and verification systems. The platform also applies artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to monitor agricultural practices and environmental outcomes.

“A buyer of this scale only commits to those terms when it is confident the supply will be delivered. That assurance rests on the platform behind it: the scientists who design the program, the dMRV technology that measures it, and the commercial team that brings farmers and buyers to the same table.”

Forward agreements could become increasingly important for hard-to-abate industries. Many such businesses will still generate residual emissions after applying available decarbonization measures. Long-term contracts can help build future supplies of verified credits while giving project developers and farmers more predictable revenue.

Lower fuel costs and stronger climate resilience

The agricultural case extends beyond carbon revenue. Moving away from conventional tillage can save farmers between 40 and 60 liters of diesel per hectare, according to Agreena. At the planned project scale, those savings could materially reduce fuel use and production costs.

Retaining crop residues can also preserve moisture in an area receiving only 300 to 450 millimeters of annual rainfall. Ending stubble burning would reduce air pollution for nearby communities.

“Soil carbon credits are unique in the value they provide beyond the measurable tons of carbon reduced and removed,” said Aagaard. “Co-benefits, including greater biodiversity, improved soil health, and resilience against both drought and flood, are a direct result of protecting soil structure through the pillars of regenerative agriculture.”

Reduced soil disturbance and off-season cover crops are expected to benefit surrounding landscapes. These habitats support threatened species, including the critically endangered Sociable Lapwing and the endangered Steppe Eagle.

For executives and investors, delivery quality remains the central issue. The agreement depends on credible measurement, durable farming changes and successful verification over seven years. Kazakhstan’s policy environment and the integrity of Verra’s oversight will therefore shape both credit value and buyer confidence.

If delivered as planned, the project could demonstrate how long-term carbon finance can support farm economics, industrial climate strategies and landscape restoration. Its performance will matter well beyond Central Asia as markets seek credible ways to fund regenerative agriculture at global scale.