News

From paddy fields to global plates, sustainable rice and verified carbon credits can now move forward together, delivering measurable benefits for farmers, markets, and the climate.

SAWiE Ecosystems Private Ltd and AgriCapture are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation in Pakistan while unlocking new income streams for smallholder farmers through high-integrity carbon credits in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).

As part of the Global Rice Methane Initiative across South Asia, the collaboration brings together deep on-the-ground farmer engagement with advanced agricultural data and MRV systems to scale climate-smart practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). Carbon credits generated from the 2026 growing season will be developed under Verra’s VM51 methodology, ensuring measurable, transparent, and independently verified methane reductions aligned with international integrity benchmarks.

Pakistan cultivates rice on approximately 3.9 million hectares, ranking among the world’s top 10 producers and contributing around 2% of global output. Yet continuously flooded rice systems emit an estimated 7–8 million tonnes of CO₂e annually nationwide. Transitioning to improved water management practices offers significant potential to cut emissions, enhance water-use efficiency, and strengthen crop productivity and climate resilience.

Through this partnership, smallholder farmers,  particularly women,  will receive training and technical support to adopt sustainable rice cultivation practices and generate verified methane-reduction carbon credits. By linking sustainable production with credible climate finance, the initiative creates diversified income opportunities for rural communities while reinforcing environmental integrity and market transparency.

Impact at Scale
• Strong co-benefits for smallholder farmers, especially women
• Significant, measurable methane reductions
• Improved water efficiency and climate resilience
• Access to climate finance through carbon markets
• Scalable, nature-based solutions aligned with international integrity benchmarks

Mr. Fritz Boehmler, CEO of SAWiE Ecosystems, stated:
“We are excited to work with AgriCapture to harness the potential of methane reduction through Alternate Wetting and Drying. This will create additional incentives for farmers while enabling sustainable and traceable rice production.”

Mr. Tyler Hull, CEO of AgriCapture, stated “We’re excited to combine AgriCapture’s expertise in developing and commercializing high-integrity carbon credits with SAWiE’s on-the-ground farmer engagement and local leadership. Together, we can scale credible methane reductions in rice while connecting farmers to global carbon markets.”

Ms. Nosheen Ramzan, Chairperson of SAWiE, added “By aligning farmers, rice millers, exporters, financial institutions, and climate markets, we aim to accelerate the shift from conventional flooded systems to resilient, climate-smart rice landscapes across Pakistan.”

Editors’ notes

SAWiE Ecosystem – Pakistan
SAWiE Ecosystem Pakistan is a climate-smart agriculture innovation platform connecting farming communities with global markets through regenerative practices, digital traceability, and MRV-driven carbon intelligence. By integrating SAWiE Advisory, SAWiE Trace™, and SAWiE 360 Farmer Connect, the ecosystem strengthens farm-to-plate supply chains, supports Scope 3 reporting, and ensures fair value for farmers while delivering measurable climate, soil, and biodiversity outcomes. The start up is based at NIC Faisalabad and working with over 10,000 farmers in Pakistan

AgriCapture – USA Regenerative agriculture + carbon credits | AgriCapture
AgriCapture (USA) is a data-driven carbon and sustainability intelligence platform focused on quantifying, verifying, and monetising environmental outcomes in agriculture. Leveraging advanced MRV frameworks, remote sensing, and farm-level data integration, AgriCapture enables credible Scope 3 emissions accounting, carbon insetting solutions, and compliance-ready reporting for brands, investors, and agribusinesses.