Isometric's New Agroforestry Methodology Draft
This article is an automatically translated version of the original Japanese article. Please refer to the Japanese version for the most accurate information.
This is a newsletter from Sustainacraft Inc.
Methodology Updates is a series dedicated to carbon and biodiversity credit Methodologies. In this article, we will introduce the features of Isometric's newly released draft Agroforestry Methodology, currently open for public comment, comparing it with Isometric's Reforestation Methodology and Verra's ARR Methodology VM0047.
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Author of this article: Keisuke Takahata (Lead, R&D Team)
Isometric's New Agroforestry Methodology Draft
(Source: A new protocol for Agroforestry, accessed October 15, 2025)
Isometric is inviting public comments on its new Agroforestry Methodology draft, with a deadline of October 31, 2025 (Japan time). Agroforestry is a land-use system that integrates trees into agricultural land and pastures, drawing attention for its potential to deliver a wide range of co-benefits, including carbon sequestration, enhanced biodiversity, and soil conservation.
Until now, the Voluntary Carbon Market lacked a comprehensive Methodology specifically for agroforestry. This new Isometric Methodology (hereinafter referred to as IA) introduces novel concepts for rigorously quantifying carbon removal while prioritizing the maintenance of agricultural production. It is also designed with compliance with IC-VCM's CCP and the ABACUS label in mind, poised to be a significant step toward developing high-quality agroforestry projects in the future. This article will explain the key features of this new Methodology by comparing it with Isometric's existing Reforestation Methodology (hereinafter referred to as IR) and Verra's ARR Methodology VM0047. More detailed information on the characteristics of IR and Isometric itself can be found in the following newsletter.
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A key characteristic of the IA, as announced, is that it positions agricultural production as a primary component of the project and proactively integrates its output into Leakage mitigation measures. Additionally, features such as the adoption of a Dynamic Baseline and the requirement to submit a concrete financial plan for monitoring after the Crediting Period reflect the stringent approach common across all Isometric Methodologies, including IR.
- Maintenance of Agricultural Production as a Prerequisite: The majority of the project area (50% or more) or a minimum of 500 hectares must be dedicated to the production of non-timber products (such as food, livestock, and fiber). While IR and VM0047 primarily focus on degraded land and forest restoration, IA aims for carbon removal in "working landscapes" (lands where productive activities are carried out).
- Leakage Assessment via Net Project Productivity: If agricultural production unintentionally decreases due to the project, its impact is quantified using a metric called "Net Project Productivity (NPP)" and rigorously calculated as Leakage. This represents a new approach where Leakage can be offset by improvements in productivity within the project.
- Long-term Commitment and Financial Plan Requirements (Common to Isometric): It mandates monitoring for a minimum of 40 years even after the Crediting Period (maximum 40 years) ends, requiring a long-term project commitment. Furthermore, a significant feature is the requirement to submit a financial plan demonstrating continuous incentives (payment structure) to ensure carbon stock is maintained even after Credit Issuance revenue ceases.
Below, we will examine the features of the IA Methodology in more detail, particularly from the perspectives of eligibility conditions, Leakage, Baseline, Permanence, and consideration of harvesting.
Eligibility Conditions
The land and activities targeted by each Methodology differ significantly, reflecting their specific objectives. Differences are particularly evident in requirements concerning climate impacts, such as ecosystem diversity and albedo (solar reflectivity)1.
Isometric Agroforestry (IA)
Target: Aims to establish or increase tree cover on existing agricultural land or degraded land. Examples of activities include silvopasture (trees integrated with livestock grazing), alley cropping (trees planted in rows with crops in between), orchards, windbreaks, and riparian buffer zones.
Prerequisites:
Maintenance of Agricultural Production: It is an absolute condition that agricultural production is a primary component of the project.
Land History: Land converted from forest or natural ecosystems within the last 10 years is ineligible.
Consideration for Ecosystem Diversity: To ensure project biodiversity, a minimum number of species to be planted is stipulated based on the area planted (e.g., at least 4 species for 50-100ha, at least 5 species for 100ha or more). There are also requirements concerning the types of species used (e.g., no invasive alien species).
Albedo: Prohibits project implementation in areas where changes in albedo due to tree planting would result in a net warming effect.
Isometric Reforestation (IR)
Target: Focuses on "degraded land" that was historically forested but is no longer. Emphasis is placed on ecological restoration and functional recovery.
Prerequisites:
Avoidance of Commercial Forestry: Activities such as commercial plantation forestry are not intended, and timber sales involving clear-cutting are not envisioned.
Land History: Similar to IA, land where Deforestation occurred within the last 10 years is ineligible.
Consideration for Ecosystem Diversity: Planting plans are required to include at least 5 species from at least two genera, aiming to enhance Biodiversity.
Albedo: Similar to IA, areas where changes in albedo would result in a net warming effect are excluded.
Verra VM0047
Target: Broadly covers all ARR (Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation) activities. Activities like agroforestry are quantified using a Census-based approach. This approach targets activities that do not form continuous tree cover exceeding 1 hectare, requiring all individual planting units (e.g., individual trees) to be identified and registered (census), making it suitable for relatively small-scale projects or dispersed planting.
Prerequisites:
Land History: For the Census-based approach, conditions include that the land has not been forested for the past 10 years and has less than 10% existing woody biomass cover.
Consideration for Ecosystem Diversity: Unlike Isometric's Methodologies, there are no specific requirements stipulating the number of species to be planted.
Albedo: There are no explicit exclusion provisions regarding albedo.
Wetlands: Projects involving manipulation of groundwater levels in organic soils or wetlands are ineligible.
Regarding eligible carbon pools, all three Methodologies primarily include above-ground and below-ground woody biomass. While IA and IR exclude soil, deadwood, and litter due to quantification uncertainty, VM0047 allows for their optional inclusion under specific conditions.
Leakage: Calculation by Net Project Productivity
The treatment of Leakage is arguably the most distinctive feature of IA. IA introduces a unique Leakage management approach that leverages the characteristics of agroforestry.