FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, IA – March 3, 2025 – Continuum Ag has issued verified Carbon Intensity (CI) Certificates to farmers who completed the first-ever CI Certification audit process. These official Certificates represent low carbon footprint bushels of corn and are available for farmers to sell into participating markets. The intent is that verified low-carbon bushels, and associated CI Certificates, will earn farmers premiums via the emerging 45Z tax credit program or similar private sector markets. This inaugural audit resulted in over 29 million verified CI Certificates representing family farms across the United States.
“Continuum has been helping farmers manage data for 10 years, but in the summer of 2024, it became evident that we should evolve into a CI MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) company and pursue an independent audit. I knew I wanted my farm’s CI Scores audited and I knew that EcoEngineers was the perfect partner to align with,” says Continuum Ag CEO and 7th-generation farmer, Mitchell Hora. “I’m so proud of our team, our partners, and our farmer customers! The ISO 14065 audit protocol is legit and these verified certificates are the first of their kind.”
Continuum collaborated with Des Moines, Iowa-based EcoEngineers to develop an MRV Protocol based on the ISO 14064/14065 standard. This standard has been referenced in IRS biofuels tax credit rulings. Participating farmers enrolled at TopSoil.ag, documented their 2024 cropping practices and submitted evidence to validate their practice claims. EcoEngineers then verified field-by-field CI Scores and management practice claims. Verification included extensive analysis, site visits, and a rigorous audit protocol. The verification concluded with EcoEngineers issuing a Qualified Positive Verification Statement, cementing a positive result for the involved farmers.
“EcoEngineers is proud to be a part of this inaugural program and we look forward to certifying many farmers to come,” said Jim Ramm, P.E., Vice President of U.S. Biofuels and co-founder of EcoEngineers. “Although the impacts of certification are yet to be realized, we now know the process, which can be replicated at a large market scale.”
Farmers can get their FREE CI Score at topsoil.ag and can enroll in a future iteration of the CI Certification program. Additionally, Continuum is aligning with biofuel producers, grain elevators, and other supply chain parties who are seeking verified low-carbon grain claims.
Interested in learning more? Sign-up for our next TopSoil Webinar on Monday, March 24th at Noon CST where EcoEngineers Jim Ramm, PE, joins Mitchell to discuss the Road to Verified CI Certificates.
Register here: https://share.hsforms.com/1uO8jcnGdR32y4toxXx3apAci92n