Under the 12-year agreement, Microsoft will purchase 2.85 million soil carbon removal credits from Indigo, supporting thousands of American farmers across millions of U.S. acres
BOSTON, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Indigo Carbon PBC today announced one of the largest soil carbon deals to date. Under the 12-year agreement, Microsoft will purchase 2.85 million credits generated under the Carbon by Indigo program, Indigo’s U.S.-based project, emphasizing regenerative agriculture’s role in high-integrity carbon removals.
As Indigo and Microsoft’s third transaction, this deal builds on prior purchases of 40,000 tonnes in 2024 and 60,000 tonnes in 2025, underscoring Microsoft’s commitment to being carbon negative by 2030 and Indigo’s leadership in delivering scalable, high-integrity soil carbon removals.
Regenerative agriculture practices have been recognized by governments and climate organizations as a valuable tool for carbon removal, with the ability to remove more than 3.5 gigatons of carbon-dioxide equivalent every year* in addition to improving soil health, increasing crop resiliency and yields, and scaling local investment. Amidst rising water scarcity, regenerative agriculture programs also offer support to rural communities with meaningful co-benefits including improved water infiltration and water conservation.
“Microsoft’s purchase highlights the transformative power of regenerative agriculture to support watersheds, support farming communities, and advance global net-zero goals,” said Meredith Reisfield, Senior Director of Policy, Partnerships and Impact at Indigo. “Indigo is a proud catalyst of today’s soil carbon market, with our long-standing history of farmer collaboration and proven impact, already saving 64 billion gallons of water and issuing nearly one million tonnes of CO2e carbon removal credits since 2018.”
At a time when farmers face mounting economic and environmental pressures, this deal delivers meaningful financial incentives for the adoption and expansion of regenerative practices, improving farm resiliency, and creating new revenue streams for farmers. Indigo is proud to work with farmers across eight million acres, paying farmers $40 million across all of Indigo’s programs to date, independently of government funds.
“Microsoft is pleased by Indigo’s approach to regenerative agriculture that delivers measurable results through verified credits and payments to growers, while advancing soil carbon science with advanced modeling and academic partnerships. Indigo is strengthening the carbon market through their commitment to enhancing project quality, championing the improvement of third-party standards, and producing high-integrity carbon removal credits,” said Phillip Goodman, Director of Carbon Removal at Microsoft.
This agreement is also one of the first soil carbon deals to feature credits approved under the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) Core Carbon Principles. With its peer-reviewed research, on-the-ground science, and cutting-edge remote sensing and machine learning, Indigo has issued 927,296 carbon removal and reduction credits from CAR1459, using the Climate Action Reserve’s Soil Enrichment Protocol (SEP). Indigo has added measures to reduce reversal risk throughout the 40-year durability term agreed with Microsoft, in addition to the SEP’s 100-year monitoring and reversal compensation obligations.
About Indigo Ag:
Indigo Ag is setting a new standard for agriculture—delivering proven solutions that enrich soils, support healthy watersheds, and drive lasting farm productivity, while building an enduring global food system. Indigo connects farmers to proven programs and products to grow resilient crops, while enabling businesses to invest in farms, soils, and ecosystems that strengthen over time. With more than a decade of delivered impact, Indigo and its affiliates have paid tens of millions of dollars to farmers committed to regenerative practices and removed over one million tons of carbon from global croplands. By establishing the benchmark for scientific and agronomic integrity and scalability, Indigo proves what’s possible today while pioneering what’s next—creating prosperity for farmers, businesses, and the planet. The Carbon by Indigo program is operated by Indigo Carbon PBC, a public benefit corporation and subsidiary of Indigo Ag. Learn more at indigoag.com
*Climate Change Synthesis Report (2023), Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
SOURCE Indigo Agriculture
