eAgronom Completed One of Europe’s Largest Soil Sampling Campaigns for Future Carbon Credits Under Verra

eAgronom, the agriculture-focused climate tech company helping farmers adopt sustainable practices for the health of their soils and the planet,  has successfully completed its most ambitious soil sampling campaign to date. With intact soil core samples taken across 7 countries involving several service providers -  Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Spain, Czechia and Romania. The initiative marks a critical step forward in ensuring the accuracy of eAgronom’s future carbon credit generation and sets a benchmark for large-scale carbon soil sampling operations.

eAgronom follows one of the most robust and strict methodologies defined by the Verra Standard (VM0042) and is among the most advanced project developers in the EU under this methodology. Unlike many approaches that avoid direct soil sampling due to high costs, this methodology ensures rigorous quantification, monitoring, reporting, and verification of agricultural practices that enhance carbon storage in soils. Precise soil sampling is essential to accurately validate carbon credits and to improve the biochemical process-based soil models used to quantify the carbon stock evolution over the project’s timespan. Carbon impact quantified without sufficient accuracy or data risk to never lead to the issuance of credits due to being imprecise or not respecting the requirements set out by the methodology. Also, a good sampling design that leverages digital soil mapping is fundamental to define the correct sampling density and reduce the cost of sampling in large projects.This step is covered by the stratification. 

Soil sampling is an inherently complex process, requiring meticulous coordination and adaptability. The 2024 campaign faced multiple challenges, from navigating tight sampling windows dictated by field and weather conditions to managing unexpected obstacles. 

“Sampling at this scale is not just about sending out a service provider to the fields—it’s about adapting to unpredictable conditions and making the process work seamlessly for farmers and in respect of the standard operating procedure in place,” said Tatiana Boussange, Head of the Science & Compliance department at eAgronom.

“From adjusting plans to accommodate adverse weather conditions caused by storm ‘Boris’to replacing  field locations by other ones in the same strata in Eastern Romania after army activities temporarily disrupted GPS signals, we’ve faced and overcome significant challenges. This achievement speaks to the dedication and expertise of our entire team and our selected partners in each country,” she continued.

Unlike many soil carbon protocols that rely solely on predictive models, eAgronom’s approach combines precision soil sampling with advanced modeling techniques. The “Measure & Model” quantification approach is one of the approaches defined by the  methodology that we follow for the issuance of the carbon credits concerned by this sampling campaign. eAgronom establishes an initial baseline of soil carbon levels to initialize the soil model, followed by a resampling every 5 years to validate or adjust carbon sequestration predictions, which enables to true-up the model. This ensures annual carbon credits are issued based on accurate, real-world data while maintaining long-term credibility and trust in the credits generation process and methodology.

Robin Saluoks, co-founder and CEO of eAgronom, said: “We’ve taken one of the most significant steps to improve the precision and trustworthiness of our carbon credit program. Soil sampling at this scale doesn’t just enable more accurate carbon credits, it supports farmers by ensuring their sustainable practices are rewarded in a reliable way. We’re excited to lead one of Europe’s largest soil sampling initiatives and to bring measurable change to sustainable agriculture.”

This large-scale campaign distinguishes eAgronom as a frontrunner in soil-based carbon measurement, and the data collected will directly impact the carbon credit valuations for participating farms. The program measures organic carbon and bulk density at multiple soil depths, capturing critical indicators of soil health and carbon storage potential. These results inform eAgronom’s carbon credit calculations, providing a fairer and more transparent system for participating farmers.

With this soil sampling project now completed, eAgronom is already planning its next steps. The initiative will expand to Ukraine, Moldova, and Rwanda in early 2025 and underscores eAgronom’s mission to drive sustainable practices globally.

Additional information:
Silver Bohl
eAgronom / Head of Marketing
[email protected]
+372 5647 2286