Amazon Signs 685,000 Ton Carbon Credit Deal to Reduce Emissions from Rice Farming in India

Amazon announced that it has entered into a long-term carbon credit offtake agreement with The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA), aimed at supporting the delivery of high-integrity methane emission reductions from rice cultivation across India.

Founded in 2022, Bayer-owned TGRA works with rice farmers across India to deploy sustainable agricultural practices designed to reduce methane emissions from irrigated rice production.

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Rice cultivation, which involves the continuous flooding of paddy fields, accounts for approximately 8–10% of global methane emissions, making it the second-largest source of agricultural methane emissions after livestock. India is the third-largest methane emitter globally and has the world’s largest rice cultivation area, supporting more than 100 million livelihoods.

Under the agreement, Amazon is collaborating with TGRA as the primary buyer for the project, with its commitment covering more than 685,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent carbon credits during the initial crediting phase.

Michelle Jolly, Director of Sustainability Solutions and Services at Amazon said:

“Methane is a super pollutant that demands our attention now, and agriculture represents a critical opportunity to reduce emissions. This agreement demonstrates our commitment to high-quality carbon credits—supported by auditable field measurements and documentation of practice change, independent validation by remote sensing, and biogeochemical modeling—demonstrating real climate impact.”

According to TGRA, emission reductions are quantified using direct, field-based methane measurements, conducted in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), supported by digital monitoring tools and third-party verification under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) using the VM0051 methodology for improved rice management.

TGRA said that the deal supports its large-scale program with more than 13,000 smallholder farmers, covering over 35,000 hectares of farmland, to reduce methane emissions through the adoption of improved water-management practices, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR).

Suhas Joshi, Director on Board at TGRA and Carbon Initiative Lead at Bayer South Asia said:

“Methane reductions in rice cultivation represent one of the most immediate opportunities to slow near-term global warming and partnerships with companies like Amazon enable us to scale proven and science-based solutions, while delivering positive climate impact along with tangible benefits to farmers.”