Key Takeaways:
- Locus Agriculture’s CarbonNOW and MethaneNOW initiatives were selected as Innovation Sprint partners for AIM for Climate at COP28.
- CarbonNOW and MethaneNOW focus on mitigating greenhouse gases and enhancing farm productivity.
- CarbonNOW significantly reduces emissions and increases soil carbon sequestration.
- MethaneNOW aims to reduce methane emissions in livestock, showing promising R&D results.
- These initiatives exemplify scalable, impactful solutions for climate change mitigation in agriculture.
Groundbreaking Climate Initiatives
During the COP28 event, Locus Agriculture (Locus AG) and Locus Animal Nutrition achieved a significant milestone. Their initiatives, CarbonNOW and MethaneNOW, were selected as Innovation Sprint partners for the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate). AIM for Climate is a global coalition committed to fostering increased investment in innovations for agricultural and food systems to combat the climate crisis.
CarbonNOW: Revolutionizing Farm Emissions and Productivity
Locus’ CarbonNOW addresses the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. This program harnesses agricultural biologicals to actively lower emissions at the farm level and increase food production. By transforming crop fields into significant carbon sinks, CarbonNOW enhances soil carbon sequestration by up to tenfold compared to standard regenerative agriculture. The program has shown remarkable results, reducing N2O emissions by 35% and CO2 emissions by 22%.
Besides environmental benefits, CarbonNOW aids farmers financially by improving crop yields and generating carbon credits. Farmers involved in the program have already received nearly $5 million in carbon payments. Moreover, CarbonNOW extends its impact to companies in carbon-intensive industries, helping them reduce scope three emissions and progress towards net-zero goals.
MethaneNOW: Targeting Livestock Methane Emissions
MethaneNOW focuses on reducing methane emissions from livestock, a significant source of agricultural greenhouse gases. In its R&D phase, this initiative has shown a reduction of over 23% in enteric methane emissions from livestock without affecting milk quality. Developed in collaboration with Locus Animal Nutrition, these direct-fed microbial (DFM) feed additives mitigate climate change and enhance farm profitability. The potential for applying these solutions to other areas, like rice paddy fields, is promising.
Locus Agriculture’s Vision and Impact
Karthik Karathur, SVP of Strategy and Sustainability at Locus AG, underscores the significance of these initiatives. He notes the crucial role of companies and institutions in combating climate change and praises AIM for Climate for highlighting impactful, scalable innovations.
Global Agriculture Sustainability and Climate Change Mitigation
Locus’ initiatives under AIM for Climate vow to contribute significantly to global agriculture sustainability and climate change mitigation. These initiatives benefit a broad spectrum of stakeholders, from individual farmers to large corporations, fostering a sustainable and profitable agricultural ecosystem.
Image provided by AIM For Climate
