Mathematica provided recommendations to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for supporting farmers in taking voluntary actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use sustainable land-use practices.
Mathematica’s recommendations came in response to USDA’s request for information regarding implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program. Authorized under the Growing Climate Solutions Act, the program is intended to facilitate farmer, rancher, and private forest landowner participation in voluntary carbon markets, a potential tool for reducing greenhouse gases from the agricultural and forestry sectors.
Specifically, Mathematica’s recommendations to USDA focused on:
- Definitions of the terms “consistency,” “reliability,” “effectiveness,” “efficiency,” and “transparency” for use in evaluating protocols for inclusion in the program.
- Protocols for generating voluntary carbon credits from agriculture and forestry projects that USDA should evaluate for listing through the Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Program.
- How USDA should evaluate technical assistance providers (TAPs), and minimum qualifications, certifications, or expertise for a TAP to qualify for listing under the program.
- Minimum qualifications and expertise for third-party verifiers to qualify for registration under the program.
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