Measuring and verifying agricultural data collection methods is increasingly important and powerful to farmers and food brands alike. That’s why we’re excited to announce a new partnership agreement with EarthOptics, an industry-leading soil data measurement and mapping company. At Merge Impact, we pride ourselves on establishing the first and only agricultural measurement and data solution that connects brands to fully verified regenerative and organic supply chains, using blockchain to create data integrity and transparency. By joining forces with EarthOptics, our two companies are establishing a universal protocol for agricultural data collection methods, including measurement and reporting. The resulting data collection standards are designed to ensure integrity and transparent communication between farmers, producers, retailers, regulators, and consumers.
Why Verified Agricultural Data Collection Methods Are Essential to a Carbon Positive Future
The need for carbon-positive, nutrient-dense food production has never been more critical. The UN predicts a 50% increase in food demand by 2050, when the population is expected to balloon to ten billion. Furthermore, according to scientific estimates, modern agricultural practices have caused a loss of 120 billion tons of soil carbon. However, it is believed that up to 65 billion tons of carbon could be easily restored to the soil through reduced tillage, better nutrient management, and more accurate feedback from measurement data.*
Here at Merge Impact, we’re working tirelessly to connect regenerative and organic farmers to verified soil carbon outcomes. Why is this our goal? We know that verified agricultural data collection methods can ensure supply chains have a highly accurate and measurable carbon impact at the field level. At the same time, brands will have full visibility into the connections between soil outcomes, nutrition outcomes, climate goals, and producer impact through the tools provided by Merge Impact.
“The rapid overuse of our soil resources demands we transform how we produce food while supporting the livelihoods of the regenerative and organic farmers who we rely on more than ever,” said Ben Adolph, Merge Impact founder and CEO. “Merge Impact’s partnership with EarthOptics will enable a scalable solution to measuring baselines for supply chains, while Merge Impact’s blockchain-verified data services provide the integrity and opportunity to incentivize more positive change at the field level. Together, we are bringing value back to the producers.”
Today, approximately 28% of farmers are actively implementing practices that reduce their operation’s carbon footprint, and 17% are evaluating their options. Soil health ranks as a concern for 94% of the growers, of which 20% indicate they are extremely concerned with the issue. EarthOptics’ technology offers state-of-the-art agricultural data collection methods. These include high-resolution maps with accurate total field carbon measurements that detect year-over-year changes demonstrating the carbon sequestered in the soil during a crop season. With Merge Impact, EarthOptics data is securitized on the blockchain, ensuring farmers are able to increase the return on their investment to improve their soil.
“EarthOptics technology suite offers farmers more soil data insights than ever before,” says Lars Dyrud, EarthOptics CEO. “Our technology quantifies the amount of carbon sequestered – not just an estimation, but total field analysis. It benefits the entire food value chain from new revenue streams for farmers to peace of mind for consumers about the sustainability of their food choices.”
With 56% of consumers indicating they would be more loyal to a brand if they could see at a glance that the company was taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, the Merge Impact and EarthOptics partnership makes it possible for brands to reliably demonstrate to consumers their timely, meaningful progress toward their climate commitments.
“There has never been a more crucial time to make changes in how we produce our food, and the vast scale of the food system is key to making a positive change for our future livelihood and the planet,” said Beth Robertson-Martin, co-founder and vice president of partnership development at Merge Impact. “The partnership between Merge Impact and EarthOptics provides farmers a roadmap to demonstrate comprehensive and accurate soil measurements that are traceable, verifiable, and credible to brands and consumers.”
Want to learn more about the agricultural data collection methods used by Merge Impact and EarthOptics? Curious how Merge Impact’s blockchain-powered measurement and data solutions combined with EarthOptics’ technology provides novel protocol for measuring and mapping soil health and contributing to a climate-positive food future? Then go to www.mergeimpact.com to find out more.
