Veterans Carbon Holdings (VCH) has announced the issuance of what it describes as the first third-party validated, soil-sample-based carbon credits to a U.S. farmer. Verified under BCarbon’s Soil Carbon Protocol v2.0, the credits are based on stratified soil sampling and independent validation rather than satellite imagery or practice-based projections.
According to an article on the Environment Energy Leader portal, for a market that has faced ongoing criticism over transparency and methodological consistency, the development signals a potential shift toward direct measurement, traceability, and tighter verification standards.
Most agricultural carbon programs have relied on models that estimate soil carbon gains based on documented changes such as adopting no-till or planting cover crops. While these systems offer scalability and lower upfront costs, questions around accuracy, permanence, and additionality have limited broader institutional participation.
VCH’s methodology replaces modeled assumptions with stratified soil sampling at depth, validated by third parties under BCarbon’s scientific framework. According to the company, direct measurement is capturing higher concentrations of stored carbon in agricultural subsoils than are typically reflected in imagery-based or practice-based systems. By quantifying carbon stocks directly, the approach aims to address credibility concerns that have constrained demand in some segments of the voluntary market.
The initial credits originate from farmland in Minnesota’s Red River Valley. Serialisation is being conducted through DOVU’s blockchain infrastructure on Hedera, providing a digital chain of custody from issuance through sale. The infrastructure is designed to support auditability and data transparency for corporate and institutional buyers seeking higher-integrity environmental assets.
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