Agriculture Activity Requirements

What is the purpose of the Agriculture (AGR) Activity Requirements and what are the key changes from the Land Use and Forestry (LUF) Activity Requirements?

Purpose:

The Agriculture Activity Requirements outline Gold Standard’s sector-specific requirements and define eligible activities under the agriculture scope. The standalone requirements for agriculture pave the way for new methodology development and refine requirements applicable to agriculture.

Changes from the LUF Activity Requirements:

Agriculture requirements were previously covered within the LUF Activity Requirements, however, the new standalone document recognises sector-specific challenges and opportunities. The key changes from the LUF Activity Requirements are as follows:

Clearly defined eligible activities – The Agriculture Activity Requirements outline the activity types that Gold Standard deem eligible under the agriculture sector. The eligibility activity list provides a clear directive for new methodology development.

Sustainable Development & Adaptation - Increasing resilience in dealing with impacts of climate change is crucial for achieving income stability, food security, and long-term development. Therefore, preserving and increasing adaptive capacity is a key element of every project.

Additionality – The Positive List for additionality has been tailored to Agriculture activities and has lowered Human Development Index thresholds. Further requirements are also given for demonstration of activity penetration.

Safeguarding Principles - Unlike the LUF Requirements, the Agriculture Activity Requirements do not mandate that a High Conservation Value Approach to be followed in a minimum of 10% of the project area. Instead, safeguards are in place to preserve native species, ensure responsible practices and protect water bodies.

Submission Deadlines – The new requirements provide clarity on the submission deadlines for retroactive Agriculture activities. Retroactive projects shall submit their documentation for Preliminary Review within one year of the project start date.

Agroforestry Eligibility – New requirements are defined for projects that implement agricultural activities into existing agroforestry or silvopastoral systems. Projects must demonstrate that these systems have been in place for at least 10 years.

When should existing (Design Certified) projects apply the new Agriculture Activity Requirements?

All Design Certified activities shall transition to these activity requirements at the next renewal of certification and not beyond 01/01/2028.

When should listed project transition to the Agriculture Activity Requirements?

Listed projects are not required to apply the new activity requirements before Design Review, but it is highly recommended. However, if this is not feasible, activities shall transition to the new requirements at the next renewal of certification, and not beyond 01/01/2028.

It is possible to update to the new requirements during performance certification, by applying an issuance-track Design Change. 

Should developers apply the LUF Activity Requirements and the Agriculture Activity Requirements?

New Agriculture projects shall solely apply the Agriculture Activity Requirements. Existing projects may continue to apply the LUF Activity Requirements until Design Certification Renewal, and not beyond 01/01/2028. Cases where both requirements should be applied will be defined in the applicable methodology.

The Agriculture Activity Requirements reference the Forestry Activity Requirements. Where can I find this document? Is it the same as the LUF Activity Requirements?

Gold Standard will soon publish standalone Forestry Activity Requirements and will retire the combined LUF Activity Requirements. Until the Forestry Activity Requirements enter into force, all relevant annexures of the LUF Activity Requirements shall be followed.

Does adoption of the new requirements require a design change?

Changes to the Project Design may require a Design Change, which shall be processed at Design Certification Renewal, Performance Certification, or as a standalone request.

My project is eligible under the Agriculture Activity Requirements, but there is no methodology available for implementation. What next?

If none of the existing methodologies apply and you are interested in developing a new methodology or revising an existing one, the Impact Quantification Methodology Approval Procedure will provide next steps on how to submit a methodology concept note to Gold Standard for review.

Should Agroforestry projects apply the Agriculture Activity Requirements, or LUF Activity Requirements?

The SOC pool of agroforestry activities for both forest and agriculture interventions shall be governed by this document, while all other pools for the forestry component of agroforestry will be governed by the Land-Use & Forests Activity Requirements.

Should Biochar projects apply the Agriculture Activity Require, or the Engineered CDR Activity Requirements?

Once published, the Gold Standard Biochar methodology will be applicable under the Engineered CDR Actvitity Requirements. For further details, please refer to section 3.1.3 of the AGR Activity Requirements.