Agriculture Production Criteria

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Agriculture Production Criteria provide a framework for certifying agri-food production assets and entities. The criteria focus on two primary mitigation elements: reducing absolute greenhouse gas emissions (specifically N2O, CH4, and CO2) and sequestering carbon in agricultural soils and biomass. A mandatory precondition for all certifications is that the land must be deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF). For entities and sustainability-linked debt, the document defines 'Aligned' and 'Transition' tiers based on whether the entity's emission intensity meets a 1.5°C transition pathway immediately or by 2030. The framework also incorporates mandatory safeguards for climate adaptation and resilience, biodiversity, water management, social standards, and animal welfare to prevent unintended negative impacts.

• A mandatory precondition for all assets and use-of-proceeds (UoP) certifications is that the farmland must be free from deforestation and conversion of natural ecosystems since 31 December 2010.
• Eligible climate mitigation measures for assets and UoP are divided into reducing absolute emissions (N2O, CH4, and CO2) and sequestering carbon. Examples of emission reduction measures include substituting fossil fuel-based nitrogen fertilisers with organic or zero-emissions alternatives and reducing flooding days in rice production by at least 10%.
• Carbon sequestration eligibility requires a verified management plan demonstrating either a 20% increase in carbon input over 10 years (maintained until 2050 or for 20 years) or a progressive annual increase in carbon sequestration estimates (at least 0.2 t C ha-1 yr-1 over 10 years).
• Entity and sustainability-linked debt (SLD) certifications are categorized into two tiers: 'Aligned' entities must meet the 1.5°C transition pathway at the time of certification, while 'Transition' entities must align by 31 December 2030.
• For entity-level certification, carbon removals are accounted for at the farm level rather than the product level, with a current requirement to remove 0.4 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year to align with the 1.5°C pathway.
• Certain entities may use qualitative proxies for certification until 2030 if they cannot meet quantitative targets, provided they apply practices like certified organic farming or agroecology to 90% of their production units and commit to full GHG accounting by 2030.
• The framework includes five mandatory safeguards: Adaptation and Resilience, Biodiversity, Water, Social, and Animal Welfare. Most follow a four-step risk assessment process: identifying boundaries, assessing risks, implementing mitigation measures, and ongoing monitoring.
• The animal welfare safeguard requires certification from specific schemes such as Humane Farm Animal Care Certified Humane, RSPCA Assured, or Animal Welfare Approved, or adherence to FARMS Initiative Responsible Minimum Standards if those schemes are unavailable in the country.

APA

Climate Bonds Initiative (2024). Agriculture Production Criteria. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/DRAFT-for-PC-Agriculture-Production-Criteria-100724.pdf

Chicago

Climate Bonds Initiative. Agriculture Production Criteria. 2024. https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/DRAFT-for-PC-Agriculture-Production-Criteria-100724.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Bonds Initiative |title=Agriculture Production Criteria |date=10 July 2024 |url=https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/DRAFT-for-PC-Agriculture-Production-Criteria-100724.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatebondsinitiative2024agriculture, author = {{Climate Bonds Initiative}}, title = {{Agriculture Production Criteria}}, institution = {Climate Bonds Initiative}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://www.climatebonds.net/files/drupal-files/files/DRAFT-for-PC-Agriculture-Production-Criteria-100724.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }