SARA Achieves Verra Registration: Unlocking Carbon Finance for Regenerative Grazing in Latin America

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South American Regenerative Agriculture (SARA programme) has been officially validated and registered by Verra, the world’s leading carbon credit certification body. With this achievement, SARA ranks among the first seven programmes globally to be approved under the new VM0042 methodology and is the first ever to be validated in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile. 

SARA is developed by global sustainability firm, Anthesis Group, and regenerative specialists Ruuts, with local partners Ovis 21 (Argentina), De Raiz (Paraguay) and Efecto Manada (Chile). SARA is one of the first large-scale carbon programmes in the region focused on restoring degraded rangelands through regenerative grazing practices.  The programme already involves over 130 farms and 150,000 hectares and plans to expand to 500,000 regenerated hectares across South America, building a regional network that offers concrete, nature-based solutions to the climate crisis.  

For the first monitoring period (2019 – 2023) SARA is expected to have generated over 200,000 carbon removals – these are currently under verification.  This is expected to increase each year to over one million tonnes of removals annually, from 2028 onwards.   

A model for regenerative transformation 

SARA is a breakthrough for regenerative agriculture in Latin America. It provides a scalable, science-based model that rewards farmers for rebuilding soil carbon while restoring land and livelihoods. We are proud to work alongside Ruuts, Ovis 21 and especially, the farming communities that make SARA possible. This project is a living example of sustainable performance—where climate, nature, and people thrive together.

Geert Eenhoorn, Director of Carbon Project Development, Anthesis

Built on science, data, and local knowledge 

SARA combines cutting-edge carbon modelling and ecological monitoring with local expertise, community engagement, and technical training. Participating farmers receive support from the Ovis 21 Regeneration School, and a decentralised network of accredited Field Professionals. These experts support the farmers with their half year detailed planning, conduct ongoing ecological assessments, soil sampling, and water infiltration tests as part of a rigorous five-year monitoring cycle based on the GRASS Standard. 

All monitoring data is captured via the Ruuts Monitoring App and enhanced with remote sensing to support a fully digitised and validated MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) system, ensuring transparency, credibility, and traceability of carbon outcomes. 

At Ruuts, we believe regenerative agriculture is the most powerful climate solution rooted in community. SARA demonstrates that by combining farmer wisdom, science, and technology, we can restore landscapes and reward those making it happen.

Pablo Brorelli, CEO, Ruuts

Paving the way for global nature-based solutions 

Following Anthesis’ success with AgriCarbon in South Africa, SARA represents the next step in building a global portfolio of high-impact, Verra-certified carbon projects that prioritise both emissions removals and ecosystem restoration. 

As demand for high-quality, nature-based carbon credits grows, SARA will play a pivotal role in delivering credible, measurable, and regenerative outcomes for climate-conscious businesses and investors. 

This marks another major milestone for Anthesis following the successful Verra verification of AgriCarbon – Africa’s first regenerative agriculture carbon programme to issue credits under the VM0042 methodology. The Verra registration of SARA reinforces Anthesis’ position as a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of high-integrity agricultural carbon programmes. Anthesis currently manages over a quarter of the regenerative agriculture carbon programmes that are registered with Verra, scaling proven approaches across continents. These programmes are enabling credible carbon removals, empowering farmers, and supporting clients to meet net zero and nature-positive commitments through trusted, science-aligned solutions.

Arjen Struijk, Global Executive Director, Climate & Nature, Anthesis

What does Verra validation mean and what comes next? 

Verra’s validation confirms that the SARA programme meets the highest standards for environmental and social integrity. The process involved technical audits, extensive documentation, and several years of collaborative development. 

The next step is verification, which involves submitting annual Monitoring Reports with field data for independent third-party audits. Once verified, the programme will issue Verified Carbon Units for sale. This process is already well underway, with the first credit issuance expected in the coming months. 

To find out more about SARA, and our other carbon projects, please email [email protected].