Agriculture BEST PRACTICE FOR ISSUING GREEN BONDS

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines the standards and certification process for issuing green bonds within the agriculture sector, with a specific focus on the expanding market in Brazil.

• The Climate Bonds Standard and Certification Scheme is a voluntary labelling system for debt instruments and entities designed to align with the Paris Climate Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius. As of January 2023, the scheme has been applied to hundreds of instruments totaling USD 260 billion equivalent.
• The certification process for agriculture bonds consists of three primary stages: Pre-Issuance (identifying eligible uses of proceeds, creating a green bond framework, and engaging a verifier), Issuance (obtaining the verification report, engaging investors, and listing on platforms like Nasdaq or IADB), and Post-Issuance (submitting a verification report within 12-24 months and providing annual update reports).
• Eligible agriculture projects are categorized into three routes: whole production unit operations, specific interventions within a production unit (for mitigation or adaptation), and supporting activities outside the farm. Mitigation interventions include agroforestry and new low-till systems, while adaptation interventions include precision agriculture and the use of climate-adapted species.
• To evidence eligibility, issuers must meet specific screening indicators. For mitigation, this includes 'M1: No land conversion (10/01/2010)' and 'M2: No clearing of woody vegetation over 3 metres in height after 2020', which can be proven via satellite imagery or government data. Other requirements include demonstrating a GHG inventory with independent verification.
• In Brazil, the agriculture sector has seen three certified Climate Bonds. The first occurred in August 2020 with Rizoma Agro, an organic grain producer issuing a green CRA (agribusiness receivables certificate). Subsequent certifications were issued by Solinftec and Produzindo Certo.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (n.d.). Agriculture BEST PRACTICE FOR ISSUING GREEN BONDS. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Climate%20Bonds%20Agriculture%20Brochure_21%20March%202023_EN_Final.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Agriculture BEST PRACTICE FOR ISSUING GREEN BONDS. n.d. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Climate%20Bonds%20Agriculture%20Brochure_21%20March%202023_EN_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Agriculture BEST PRACTICE FOR ISSUING GREEN BONDS |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Climate%20Bonds%20Agriculture%20Brochure_21%20March%202023_EN_Final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiativendagriculture, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Agriculture BEST PRACTICE FOR ISSUING GREEN BONDS}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/Climate%20Bonds%20Agriculture%20Brochure_21%20March%202023_EN_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }