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CLIMATE ACTION

Reducing Farm Emissions Without Carbon Offsets

We are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050, and we want to reach that goal by working with the small organic family farms of our cooperative. We are taking a unique approach to that goal by developing an innovative new carbon insetting program called the CROPP Carbon Insetting Program (CCIP).

Organic Valley’s CCIP incentivizes and assists Organic Valley farmers in implementing regenerative, climate-smart farming practices like planting regional trees and composting. This innovative program will enable Organic Valley to reach carbon neutrality without a reliance on carbon offsetting—purchasing external carbon credits—as many companies do.

The new program is designed to help Organic Valley reach carbon neutrality through on-farm sustainability programs that meet, or go beyond, Natural Resources Conservation Service standards such as tree plantings, improved manure management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, feed management, and enhanced grazing and cropland practices.

CARBON OFFSETTING occurs when a company purchases carbon credits from a project developer or broker and “applies” the credits to its carbon footprint. The credits result from carbon reductions and/or removals that occur outside of the company’s supply chain.

CARBON INSETTING is the practice of investing in carbon reductions and/or removals within a company’s own supply chain. Removals are natural strategies like tree plantings and soil health improvements that result in removing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere through a process called carbon sequestration.

By participating in the CROPP CARBON INSETTING PROGRAM, our farmer-members can ensure that their carbon credits stay with their farm and benefit the co-op, helping to reach our collective carbon-neutral goal. Over the next five years alone, we intend to work with approximately 500 Organic Valley farmer-members to implement over 1,000 climate-smart farming practices.

5 YEARS

500 Organic Valley Farmers

1,200 Carbon Insetting Projects

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