London, 15 July 2025 – Soil Capital has announced the continued scaling of its regenerative agriculture programme across the UK, France and Belgium, revealing details of its fourth farmer payment series, which has so far totalled £12.4 million.
2024 saw ongoing growth in both scale and environmental impact of the programme, including an increase in the number of farmers receiving payments for adopting regenerative practices that improve soil health, carbon storage, and tackle climate change. Total participating farmers rose from 800 to 1,100, lifting the land area within the programme to 322,000 ha - a rise of 34%. Climate benefits secured through these practices reached 330,000 tonnes of CO₂e, up 38% on the previous year.
Each year, farmer payments are made based on the environmental impact from the previous year’s harvest. Farmer payments in the last 12 months (generated on harvest 2023), have totalled so far £4.6m, up from the £3.2m total paid for the 2022 harvest. 2024 has also started strongly, with the first farmer payments already totalling £3.6m, just three months into the payment cycle.
The sale of Soil Capital Units from both harvest 2023 and 2024 is ongoing, in a context shaped by economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and evolving policy and regulation around sustainability. These factors have slowed the pace of corporate decision-making on investment in the voluntary carbon market in the last months but this moment also presents a unique opportunity to lead. By engaging now, some companies are already shaping the future of agriculture and strengthening supply chain resilience.
Chuck de Liedekerke, CEO and co-founder of Soil Capital, said:
“We’re proud to be supporting more farmers than ever this year, rewarding them for the real environmental value they’re delivering for society and the food system we all depend on. The voluntary carbon market may be maturing, but so is the urgency for food system renewal. While regenerative agriculture has momentum, we now need to accelerate and scale."
"Success will demand bold action from governments, continued investment from the agri-food sector, and a shared commitment to a farmer-first approach. That’s why we’re growing long-term partnerships with companies like the Mars group, Boortmalt, and Cefetra, and why we launched our Beyond Carbon framework - to recognise the full scope of regenerative outcomes, from soil health to biodiversity and ensure farmers are fairly rewarded for leading this transition.”
Farmer David Fulller-Shapcott in the Scottish Borders said:
“We have been working towards a lower input, more nature friendly way of arable farming here at Sweethope for almost a decade now. This move to a more sustainable approach has included a working partnership with Soil Capital, who are rewarding us for our journey in this direction. We are also seeing our customers looking for sustainability improvements in our production practices, where compliance is also rewarded. It makes sense to me that we should be financially recognised for doing our bit towards reducing emissions whilst helping the environment in which we work.”
Since launching in 2019, Soil Capital’s programme has supported farmers on their journey towards regenerative agriculture. By recognising their efforts – reducing greenhouse gas emissions, storing carbon in soils, preserving biodiversity, and improving soil health – Soil Capital provides farmers with an additional source of income.
Founded in 2013, Soil Capital is a certified B Corp with a mission to support farmers in their transition to regenerative and sustainable agriculture. Operating in the United Kingdom, France and Belgium, Soil Capital has developed an innovative programme that connects businesses seeking to improve the resilience of their supply chains with farmers who are paid for their vital contributions to soil health, climate change mitigation and food security. The programme uses a reliable methodology aligned with corporate targets for reducing scope 3 emissions. www.soilcapital.com
For more information about Soil Capital contact Kitty Arnold: soilcapital@headlandconsultancy.com; +44 757 0377931
Credit Picture: Soil Capital - Farm visit on 18th June 2025 near Reading, Berkshire
