MIST is a comprehensive standard for measurement, verification, reporting, and marketing the field-level impact of agricultural production and the incidental impact on value chains. MIST is a blockchain data package that provides producers with opportunities to monetize positive planet and human outcomes of production in compliance with consumer value initiatives like “regenerative” and “organic” demanded products.
Simply put, blockchain does not enhance transparency – it enhances the validity and integrity of transparency data by de-centralizing data storage and removing the likelihood of creating data silos – a situation where data is buried in a mess of other ag data and generates little to know value within the supply chain. For the MIST, blockchain is used to ensure the origin and validity of comprehensive environmental & production outcome data.
Merge Impact has created an opportunity to advance regenerative agriculture impacts by developing a standard, holistic, regenerative measurement and transparency protocol to be used by farmers, producers, retailers, government agencies, certifiers, and consumers in their pursuit of a defined regenerative claim verification.
In alignment with the Earth Impact Soil Protocol (EISP), Merge Impact has developed four protocols:
Additionally, MIST aligns environmental outcomes with consumer values through transparent production at field level in the following categories:
Compliance reporting, ecosystem outcome reporting and field task transparency, in combination with using aligned expert service providers/organizations to collect, analyze and verify data. MIST data provides transparent field and task data to satisfy the needs of leading regenerative certifications.
By utilizing MIST, producers are ensured transparent connections directly to consumer values. In return for reciprocating transparency, producers see a direct link between the impact of their production and the value consumers display to the marketplace. Additionally, compliance with MIST ensures producers have visibility to brands looking for supply under these standards.
Having a direct connection to the resources we demand from producers is important. MIST ensures the outcomes consumers value in their products and brands are real and consumers are provided the product with a previously unattainable amount of transparency. A direct connection to the buying behavior of consumers and how that impacts our ecosystem at the origin of the product – the farm and ranch.
Additional measurements may be requested to be included in a custom protocol. MIST data may be utilized to satisfy product claims, ecosystem market insetting opportunities for supply chain stakeholders, and farm/ranch-level offset opportunities.
