Varaha, a Gurugram-based carbon removal developer, has partnered with Kellanova to launch a five-year insetting initiative in Maharashtra, India. This collaboration targets the corn sector, specifically aiming to support 5,000 smallholder farmers. The program seeks to introduce and scale regenerative agricultural practices across 12,500 acres of farmland. By integrating these methods directly into the supply chain, the partnership intends to establish a scalable model for sustainable sourcing within the region’s agricultural landscape, marking India as a key market for Kellanova’s global sustainability goals.

The initiative addresses several critical challenges facing India’s corn sector, primarily the degradation of soil health and a heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, the project tackles specific food safety concerns, notably aflatoxin contamination in corn, which threatens both public health and market value. Beyond the farm level, the broader challenge involves meeting corporate Scope 3 emission goals while ensuring that interventions remain economically viable for the smallholder farmers who are essential to the global food supply chain.

To mitigate these issues, the program employs a suite of climate-smart methods, including in-situ residue management, raised bed planting, cover cropping, and improved nitrogen efficiency. Varaha leverages its expertise in carbon removal—spanning regenerative agriculture and biochar—to apply scientific rigor to the project. The solution utilizes digital monitoring tools to track climate impact with accuracy, ensuring adherence to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and leading carbon standards. This multi-stakeholder model engages farmers, producer organizations, and scientific institutions to facilitate the adoption of these practices.

The projected outcomes for this five-year timeline include the removal or reduction of nearly 100,000 tons of CO₂e from Kellanova’s supply chain. For the participating farmers, the adoption of these regenerative practices is designed to strengthen crop yields and improve livelihoods by enhancing long-term soil fertility. Additionally, the focus on managing aflatoxins aims to elevate the safety and quality of the corn produced, verifying that climate action can align with agricultural productivity.

For the biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More and carbon removal industry, this partnership underscores the growing importance of “insetting”—reducing emissions directly within a company’s value chain rather than solely purchasing offsets. It demonstrates that carbon removal developers like Varaha can successfully expand their impact by integrating broader regenerative strategies alongside specific technologies like biochar. Success in this sector requires robust verification data to satisfy corporate sustainability mandates while delivering tangible economic benefits to smallholder communities.