Indigo Ag Brings Clarity to Carbon Program Comparisons
Supporting Ag Carbon Transparent Helps Farmers Decide
When buying a truck, it is easy to compare and contrast various makes, models and pricing. You feel better about this major purchase as you’ve done your homework. But what if comparing and contrasting isn’t available for a major decision like signing an ag carbon contract? The need for clarity and transparency in the complex and evolving carbon market led to the development of the Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) project, with Indigo Ag being the first program provider to sign up for this innovative effort.
“The Ag Carbon Transparent (ACT) program emerged because the carbon marketplace is evolving faster than grower understanding and industry standards,” explains Dan Mongeau, Vice President of Commercial Supply for Indigo Ag. “We believe ACT can play an important role in helping establish a stronger foundation of trust within agricultural carbon markets. It gives growers a clearer framework for evaluating programs, while also allowing providers like us to clearly articulate how our program operates, where it differs from others, and why that differentiation matters.”
Ag Data Transparent (ADT) has been bringing this sort of clarity to ag data contracts for a decade and was a natural partner to bring the ACT concept forward along with the National Corn Growers Association and companies like Indigo Ag.
One of the biggest challenges growers face in the carbon marketplace is simply understanding how the programs work. “There are a growing number of opportunities available to farmers, but the process can often feel fragmented and confusing,” Mongeau points out. “Growers are trying to understand what steps are required, what data is needed, how credits are generated, who is buying them, and ultimately how and when they will be compensated.”
Indigo Ag, an ADT member, has been involved in the carbon marketplace for seven years with over 8 million enrolled acres, giving their team perspective on these important farmer questions and concerns. Ethan White, Enterprise Account Manager for Indigo, works directly with farmers and boils down the need: “Farmers want increased earnings without losing control of farm, along with improved ecological outcomes.”
The Indigo approach is designed to work with the realities of farming, not against them, which is significant when farmers are balancing the many demands of farming and having to make choices based on what Mother Nature dishes out. “We want growers to continue farming successfully and making the operational decisions that are best for their business and their family. Agriculture is inherently variable, and conditions change year to year,” Mongeau says.
He explains, “For example, if a grower experiences a wet fall and needs to perform corrective tillage to harvest a crop or manage field conditions, they are not automatically removed from the carbon program. Instead, the model is designed to account for those real-world management decisions. In some cases, that may mean slightly lower carbon outcomes for a given year, but it does not disqualify the grower from participation. We believe that flexibility is critical to building a program that is both credible and practical for production agriculture at scale.”
For a farmer, it is significant to understand the differences between carbon programs and other conservation-rewarding efforts. ACT can help bring clarity as more companies pledge their support and sign on.
Sending a Message for Agriculture
Initiatives like ACT demonstrate that agriculture is actively aligning around common standards and governance principles, signaling that the industry is prepared to participate at scale in the broader carbon marketplace
Nature-based climate solutions such as soil carbon are still relatively new, and frameworks like ACT send a strong signal — particularly to buyers — that agriculture is ready to deliver credible, scalable sustainability outcomes that can meet growing market demand.
“By having other programs join the ACT and being able to give farmers clearer insight into what each program does or does not offer, then the farmer can ultimately make a better, wiser, more informed choice,” says Max DuBuisson, Head of Impact and Integrity for Indigo.