SARA – South American Regenerative Agriculture Programme

Expected impact

SARA contributes to multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, delivering measurable environmental and social outcomes.

Project milestones

• Registered under Verra VCS – May 2025
• Monitoring Period 1 (Oct ‘19 – June ’23) 220.000 VCUs – Feb 2026 

Expected Issuance Schedule

• Monitoring Period 2 (July ‘23 – August ’24) – Q4 2026: 220.000 VCUs
• Monitoring Period 3 (Sept ’24 – March ’26) – Q3 2027: 300.000 VCUs
• Monitoring Period 4 (April ’26 – March ’27) – Q1 2028: 400.000 VCUs

SARA is one of only eight programmes globally to achieve issuance under Verra’s VM0042 regenerative agriculture methodology. Anthesis Group and Ruuts are responsible for two of these programmes, underscoring their leadership in scaling high-integrity, nature-based carbon removals.

SARA is also the largest programme to be registered and issued under VM0042 in Argentina, Paraguay and Chile.

The programme currently supports more than 130 farms managing approximately 150,000 hectares of rangeland, with farmer participation and land area expected to grow significantly as the programme scales toward a target of 500,000 hectares. These restored landscapes make a measurable, nature-positive contribution to global carbon removal efforts, while strengthening the long-term productivity and resilience of farming systems.

The first monitoring period (2019 – 2023) has now been verified, resulting in the issuance of over 200,000 carbon removal credits, equivalent to more than 200,000 tonnes of CO₂e removed from the atmosphere. Annual issuance volumes are expected to increase year-on-year, with over one million tonnes of CO₂e removals forecast annually from 2028 onwards, subject to continued verification and programme expansion. 

Project details

Across South America, continuous grazing and unsustainable land management have led to extensive soil degradation, reduced productivity, and biodiversity loss.

SARA addresses these challenges by introducing regenerative grazing practices inspired by the philosophies of Allan Savory, where livestock are moved strategically to allow grasslands to rest and regenerate. The result is enhanced soil carbon storage, water retention, biodiversity, and farm productivity, creating long-term ecological and economic benefits for farmers.

The South American Regenerative Agriculture Programme

Through the SARA programme, participating farmers receive training from the Ovis 21 Regeneration School, alongside local technical support and on-the-ground monitoring.

Implementation and verification are supported by a decentralised network of accredited Field Professionals (Ovis 21 Nodes) who ensure quality and consistency across participating farms.

A five-year on-farm monitoring cycle is carried out using the GRASS Standard, incorporating both field data and digital tools for transparency and scientific rigour:

• Soil sampling, biodiversity, and water infiltration monitoring
• Annual Ecological Health Index scoring using 15 biodiversity indicators
• Soil carbon model validation through the RothC model
• Verified emissions calculations aligned with Verra’s VM0042 methodology
• Digital MRV system using the Ruuts Monitoring App, remote sensing, and modelling

Farmer benefits include:

• Lower input costs and higher yields
• Improved ecological resilience
• Carbon revenue directly channelled to producers

Anthesis – leading in carbon programme development

Anthesis Group partners with organisations worldwide to drive sustainable performance through impact-led, science-based solutions.

With deep expertise in carbon programme development in agriculture, Anthesis has helped shape global carbon markets and methodologies for regenerative farming.

Anthesis also developed AgriCarbon in South Africa – Africa’s first Verra-certified regenerative agriculture programme, and the second globally to be certified under VM0042. Experience from AgriCarbon has informed SARA’s design, particularly in farmer contracting, data collection, and verification systems.

Quality criteria

All Anthesis-supported carbon removal projects undergo independent verification to confirm permanent carbon storage and measurable environmental benefits. Projects must demonstrate alignment with UN SDGs 12, 13, and 15, promote soil and ecosystem health, and deliver robust climate and nature outcomes.

Through rigorous auditing, monitoring, and adherence to international standards, Anthesis ensures all projects provide credible, lasting impact for both climate and local communities.