From Forest to Funding. Helping Landholders See ETS Potential

The Challenge

ETS-eligible forest was already growing on farms across the Puketoi to the Pacific catchment - but farmers had no easy way to assess it. Most weren’t even aware of its carbon potential, so that value was going unclaimed. 

With limited time and capacity, the Puketoi to the Pacific Catchment Collective (PPCC) needed a simple way to identify opportunities and connect farmers with support, without getting bogged down in technical detail.

How the platform was used

PPCC used the CarbonCrop platform to assess the catchment and flag farms with likely ETS potential. Rather than completing detailed assessments for every property, the team:

• Ran high-level estimates using CarbonCrop’s tools to identify which farms had the most potential, and engaged the farmers directly

• Used the platform to map native forest, check historical imagery to confirm eligibility, and show likely ETS areas using 3D terrain views, using built-in forecasting tools to estimate potential carbon revenue for each property

• Helped landholders move forward with ETS registration - either by continuing in the platform to gather the info they needed, or by using it to brief their forestry consultant

• Provided training and support to catchment coordinators so they could assist landholders using the platform independently

This meant the catchment group’s coordinators could focus on engaging farmers, while the CarbonCrop platform handled the technical analysis in the background.

Outcome

• Over $60,000/year in ETS-eligible native forest identified within 3 months

• Significant areas of eligible forest now moving toward ETS registration, supporting farmers to unlock carbon revenue

• PPCC exceeded its annual landholder engagement targets within four months

“When farmers can clearly see the value, they’re ready to move. CarbonCrop made it easy to get started.” — June, PPCC Administrator