Carbon project developer Boomitra and the Social Carbon Foundation have announced the first issuance of soil carbon credits through the URVARA Project in India.
This milestone brings verified climate finance to over 6,000 smallholder farmers, rewarding them for regenerative agricultural practices, according to the joint announcement made on Thursday.
The URVARA Project—named after the Sanskrit word for “fertile”—covers nearly 50,000 acres across six Indian states.
It empowers farmers growing crops like rice, sugarcane, cotton, and soybeans to adopt regenerative methods such as reduced tillage, cover cropping, and improved irrigation.
So far, 47,311 carbon credits have been verified, with 315,735 expected over 20 years.
This marks Boomitra’s first issuance of soil organic carbon (SOC) removal credits.
Using satellite and AI-driven monitoring, the project enables participation from farmers with plots as small as one acre—breaking the cost barrier traditionally limiting access to carbon markets.
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URVARA is also the first Indian project verified under the Social Carbon methodology, which incorporates environmental and social co-benefits into carbon certification.
This high-integrity standard ensures transparency and supports sustainable development goals.
Credits are reviewed through the Social Carbon Portal, a digital platform that streamlines verification and boosts accountability.
The URVARA project proves that it is possible to scale climate solutions while directly supporting land stewards, said Boomitra’s CEO, Aadith Moorthy.
In turn, Dr. Divaldo Rezende, Co-Chair of Social Carbon Foundation, highlighted the project as a model for inclusive, high-quality nature-based carbon finance.
With India home to over 93 million agricultural households, initiatives like URVARA offer a scalable path to both rural economic upliftment and climate action—aligning with national goals to increase farmers’ incomes while addressing global environmental challenges.
