Amazon–TGRA Deal for Sustainable Rice Farming:
Amazon has entered into a long-term carbon credit offtake agreement with The Good Rice Alliance(TGRA) to support sustainable rice farming and methane reduction in India.
- The Good Rice Alliance is a private sector-led initiative backed by Bayer, GenZero and Shell, representing one of India’s first and largest agricultural carbon credit deals globally.
- TGRA is implementing a large-scale initiative covering over 13,000 small farmers across 35,000 hectares to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation.
- Amazon will act as the primary buyer, committing to over 685,000 metric tons of CO₂-equivalent carbon credits during the initial phase, enabling the scalability of climate solutions.
- The programme promotes improved agricultural practices to reduce methane emissions and enhance water efficiency:
- Periodic drying of paddy fields instead of continuous flooding reduces anaerobic conditions that generate methane.
- Seeds are sown directly without transplanting in flooded fields, lowering water usage and methane emissions.
- The initiative combines climate action with livelihood gains by providing training, financial incentives, higher yields, reduced input costs, and improved resilience for farmers.
- Emission reductions are measured through field-based methods in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute, supported by digital monitoring and third-party verification under the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
- Rice cultivation contributes 8–10% of global methane emissions, and with India being a major emitter and rice producer, targeted interventions offer high-impact climate mitigation potential.
