Isometric Agroforestry Protocol v1.0 Released
This article is an automatically translated version of the original Japanese article. Please refer to the Japanese version for the most accurate information.
sustainacraft Inc. newsletter.
Methodology Updates is a series that addresses carbon and biodiversity credit methodologies. In this article, we detail the significant changes made to Isometric's Agroforestry Protocol v1.0 since its draft version, following a public consultation and official release, and the balance achieved between scientific rigor and project implementability.
(Source: A new certified protocol for Agroforestry, February 9, 2026)
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Introduction
Background
When the draft version of Isometric's Agroforestry Methodology was published, we introduced its content in the following newsletter:
sustainacraft Newsletter
Key characteristics of the draft version at the time included a focus on "working landscapes" that achieve Carbon Removal while maintaining agricultural production, the adoption of Dynamic Baselines, and a demand for a very long-term commitment period.
Specifically, the draft version required a 40-year Crediting Period plus an additional 40-year Ongoing Monitoring Period, demanding a total project duration of up to 80 years. It also introduced the concept of Net Project Productivity (NPP) in Leakage Assessment, proposing a new approach to Offset Leakage through increased productivity within the project. These were stringent standards compared to existing standards like Verra, clearly indicating an intention to create high-quality Credits.
However, concerns were also raised at the same time. Especially for smallholder farmers in the Global South, an 80-year period would constitute a multi-generational contract, posing extremely high practical implementation hurdles given the complexity of land tenure and future uncertainties. This public consultation and the official release represent an important update, showing what feedback was actually received from stakeholders regarding these concerns and how Isometric responded.
Consultation Summary
The public consultation for the Agroforestry Protocol was conducted over 30 days, from September 30 to October 30, 2025. The consultation summary was published on February 3, 2026, alongside the official protocol release.
Based on the number of Comment-Resolutions detailed in the summary document, approximately 75 individual comments were received. The sections that received the most comments were as follows:
- Ecological Viability: Approximately 15 comments
- Project Commitment Period: Approximately 10 comments
- Additionality: Approximately 8 comments
- Safeguarding of Biodiversity: Approximately 8 comments
- Leakage Assessment: Approximately 8 comments
- Engagement with Enrolled Smallholder Landowners: Approximately 6 comments
- Applicability: Approximately 5 comments
- Systems Boundary and GHG Emissions Scope: Approximately 4 comments
A consistent point raised throughout the public consultation was the feasibility of the protocol. While the scientific rigor was widely appreciated, many stakeholders commented that the implementation costs, complexity, and technical burden for smallholder farmer projects were excessive. Closely related to this were concerns about barriers for smallholder farmers. It was pointed out that many requirements, such as minimum area, proof of land tenure, Benefit Sharing rates, and project duration, risked effectively excluding smallholder farmers in developing countries.
Furthermore, regarding the balance between science and practicality, while the protocol adopts cutting-edge scientific methods for the albedo effect, leakage calculations, and GHG accounting, many voices indicated that the implementation costs for Project Developers were too high. Additionally, from an investor's perspective, concerns were raised that frequent re-evaluation of Additionality and the strictness of Credit cancellation would undermine incentives for long-term investment.
In the following sections, we will examine Isometric's responses to this feedback, categorized into four areas. The first includes areas where requirements were relaxed compared to the draft, such as reductions in project duration and Benefit Sharing rates. The second covers areas where the draft content was maintained, including albedo effect screening and leakage requirements. The third highlights areas where requirements became stricter than the draft, which, although few, include requirements for the minimum number of tree species per area. Finally, the fourth category includes issues deferred for future revisions, such as the consideration of Soil Organic Carbon.
Relaxed Requirements Compared to the Draft
Feasibility of Project Timeline
Background
The discussion regarding the project's contractual period received the most feedback during this public consultation. The initial draft required a 40-year Crediting Period plus an additional 40-year Ongoing Monitoring Period (a maximum total of 80 years). This received strong objections from multiple stakeholders.
Key arguments included the impossibility of maintaining an 80-year contract due to changes in land tenure for smallholder farmers across generations, the unfairness of imposing monitoring obligations after the Crediting Period ends when there is no revenue source, the fact that it was stricter compared to Verra's minimum 40 years (including Credits + monitoring), and the unclear treatment of intergenerational contract succession.
Official Version (v1.0)
In response to these points, Isometric changed the minimum Project Commitment Period to 40 years (in compliance with ICVCM requirements). The Crediting Period can be extended up to 40 years, and if the entire Crediting Period reaches 40 years, an Ongoing Monitoring Period is not required. Furthermore, Crediting Period renewals are now possible, and the protocol can accommodate intergenerational contract succession (e.g., initial 20 years → renewed for the next 20 years). Methods for quantifying Reversals when the Project Proponent cannot access the land during the Ongoing Monitoring Period have also been added to Section 10.5.