To help reward farmers for climate action, South Pole collaborated with The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to create clear principles and guidance on benefit sharing for corporate Scope 3 emission reduction
Benefit-sharing mechanisms for land-based emission reductions are diverse. Corporations lack consistent guidance to value and reward farmers' decarbonisation services due to varying engagement approaches and benefit distribution.
standards, guidance and research papers reviewed.
core principles developed
stakeholder consultation sessions
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) partnered with South Pole to address a key barrier in agricultural decarbonisation: how to fairly and effectively reward producers for their environmental services.
While many companies are eager to support farmers in reducing emissions, the lack of a common approach created confusion, risk, and inconsistency. South Pole conducted in-depth research, a stakeholder consultation process, and a gap assessment of existing mechanisms to solve this. This analysis provided the foundation for new, practical principles and farm archetype considerations
The collaboration resulted in four overarching principles for farmer engagement and benefit sharing. Each principle is supported by detailed sub-principles that clarify the minimum requirements for all actors and the best practices to strive for. This structure gives companies a clear, consistent, and credible pathway.
Recognising that a 'one size fits all' solution does not work in agriculture, the project also identified key considerations for benefit sharing across different farm archetypes. This guidance helps downstream companies design effective and equitable programs, appropriate for specific farm types, ultimately building trust and accelerating decarbonisation across the value chain.
Accelerating the transition to sustainable food systems is critical, but we faced a significant hurdle: the sheer diversity of benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Corporations lacked a consistent framework to value and reward farmers for their decarbonisation work. South Pole was instrumental in helping us navigate this complexity, providing the clear guidance and standardisation our members needed to move forward with confidence.
Kate Newbury-Hyde Senior Manager, Agriculture and Food
Partner with South Pole to design equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms and drive meaningful Scope 3 reductions for a resilient, sustainable food system.
Download the 4 Core Principles guide by South Pole & WBCSD to build an equitable, resilient Scope 3 strategy and tailor your farmer engagement.
A 15-minute read looking at steps you can take to engage with your suppliers in order to reduce your emissions.
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