A community-focused grassland restoration initiative in South Africa has issued what developers say are the world’s first Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB)-labeled carbon credits under Verra’s updated VM0042 methodology, setting a potential benchmark for nature-based climate finance.
The Grassland Restoration and Stewardship in South Africa (GRASS) project issued 266,255 verified carbon units (VCUs) for its first monitoring period, covering some 235,000 acres (more than 95,000 hectares) of rangeland, according to reporting from Africa Sustainability Matters.
The initiative, developed by carbon project specialist TASC, works with thousands of communal livestock farmers in degraded grazing landscapes, aiming to restore soil carbon and grass cover through improved grazing management.
A total of 4,000 rural farmers participated in the initial phase, while almost 300 jobs were created in ecological monitoring, fire management and grazing support—roles that have proved scarce in local labour markets, Africa Sustainability Matters said.
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Beyond carbon credits, the GRASS project has sought to strengthen market access for smallholder producers. In partnership with Meat Naturally Africa, participating farmers have received training in livestock production and land stewardship and gained access to mobile auctions and abattoirs.
These linkages have reportedly generated about $3.35 million (56.4 million South African rands) in additional revenue from livestock and wool sales, helping stabilize incomes amid rising climate variability.
The issuance, which represents a portion of a much larger, long-term initiative, marks a significant moment for voluntary carbon markets, which have faced intense scrutiny over quality and social impact.
«Soil carbon credits should stay in the food value chain,» Robin Saluoks, eAgronom
Verra’s VM0042 methodology, tailored for improved grassland management, requires detailed soil carbon measurement and safeguards to prevent emissions leakage. The added CCB label independently verifies measurable climate, community and ecological benefits, addressing some of the most persistent criticisms of nature-based credits.
The communal component of the GRASS project covers about 604,780 hectares of rangeland and is expected to scale to one million hectares, with projected annual sequestration or avoided emissions exceeding 380,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e), TASC detailed on its website.
The initiative is structured around a 100-year longevity commitment and is expected to mitigate more than 14 million tonnes of CO2e within its first 30 years.
In parallel, some 352,218 hectares of private farmland are already under improved management, with a target of one million hectares by 2027, delivering an average of roughly 860,000 tonnes of CO2e reductions or removals.
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