SAWiE, AgriCapture partner to cut methane emissions, support farmers through carbon credits

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Feb, 2026) SAWiE Ecosystems (Pvt) Limited and AgriCapture on Friday entered into a strategic partnership to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation in Pakistan and generate new income streams for smallholder farmers through high-integrity carbon credits in the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM).

The collaboration, part of the Global Rice Methane Initiative across South Asia, aims to scale climate-smart agricultural practices including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) to curb greenhouse gas emissions from flooded rice systems, said a press release.

Carbon credits generated from the 2026 growing season will be developed under Verra’s VM51 methodology, ensuring measurable, transparent and high-integrity methane reductions.

Pakistan cultivates rice on approximately 3.9 million hectares, ranking among the world’s top 10 producers and contributing around two percent of global output. However, flooded rice fields are estimated to emit 7 to 8 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually in the country.

By promoting improved water management practices, the partnership seeks to significantly cut methane emissions while enhancing productivity, water efficiency and climate resilience.

Under the initiative, smallholder farmers, particularly women, will be trained to adopt sustainable rice cultivation techniques and generate verified methane-reduction carbon credits, enabling access to climate finance through carbon markets.

Chief Executive Officer of SAWiE Ecosystems, Fritz Boehmler, said the partnership with AgriCapture would help harness the potential of methane reduction through AWD, creating additional incentives for farmers while enabling sustainable and traceable rice production.

Chief Executive Officer of AgriCapture, Tyler Hull, said the collaboration would combine AgriCapture’s expertise in developing and commercialising high-integrity carbon credits with SAWiE’s on-the-ground farmer engagement to scale credible methane reductions and connect farmers to global carbon markets.

Chairperson of SAWiE, Nosheen Ramzan, said the initiative aimed to align farmers, rice millers, exporters, financial institutions and climate markets to accelerate the transition from conventional flooded systems to resilient, climate-smart rice landscapes across Pakistan.