Google to Buy Rice Methane Credits From 100,000 Hectares in India
Google has agreed to buy verified methane-reduction credits from a four-year Mitti Labs project covering 100,000 hectares of Indian rice farmland. The program will introduce water-saving cultivation practices across Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, potentially reaching 50,000 to 75,000 smallholders.
Four-year agreement targets India's rice belt
Google has signed a four-year agreement to purchase carbon credits generated by a Mitti Labs rice-methane project covering 100,000 hectares in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. AndroGuider reports that the initiative is expected to reduce tens of thousands of tonnes of methane emissions and support tens of thousands of smallholder farmers.
The credits will be generated from verified methane reductions through 2030. Neither Google nor Mitti Labs has disclosed the price per tonne or the total value of the agreement. The publication describes it as Google's largest commitment to rice-methane abatement and part of the company's mitigation activity beyond its own value chain. Google has pledged to reach net-zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030.
Mitti Labs, based in Delhi and New York, was founded in 2023 by Harvard graduates Nathan Torrens, Xavier Johnson and Devendra Singh. The company estimates that the project will involve more than 50,000 to 75,000 smallholders, most of whom farm plots of 1 to 3 hectares in India's basmati and non-basmati rice regions.
Water management forms the core of the project
The program centers on Alternate Wetting and Drying, or AWD, and Direct Seeded Rice, known as DSR. Under AWD, farmers allow fields to dry periodically before flooding them again. Perforated tubes installed in the soil help monitor water levels. Interrupting continuous flooding limits the oxygen-free conditions in which soil microbes produce methane.
According to the source, AWD can cut methane emissions by 30% to 50% without reducing yields and can lower water consumption by about 30%. DSR replaces the transplantation of seedlings from flooded nurseries with direct sowing. This shortens the flooding period and can reduce labor, irrigation and pumping costs.
Mitti Labs will enroll and train farmers, provide agronomic support through field teams and a mobile application, and use satellite imagery and Internet of Things water sensors for monitoring. Third-party measurement, reporting and verification will support the issuance of carbon credits. Google has said it will publish findings on project performance and share data intended to improve rice-methane methodologies.
Pilot results reported by Mitti Labs in Haryana and Punjab showed unchanged or slightly higher yields alongside water savings of 25% to 40%. The company says a majority of carbon-credit revenue is returned to participating farmers through direct payments. It also employs local young people as field coordinators.
Carbon finance meets water constraints
India is the world's second-largest rice producer and has more than 45 million hectares under rice cultivation. Rice farming accounts for an estimated 8% to 12% of human-caused methane emissions worldwide, while methane is more than 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
The water component is particularly relevant in Punjab and Haryana, where groundwater levels are falling by nearly one meter per year in some locations. Less pumping could reduce farmers' diesel and electricity expenses while easing pressure on aquifers. Long-term credit purchases may also give farmers and lenders greater confidence that payments and technical support will continue during the shift in cultivation practices.
Execution remains the main risk. Mitti Labs must expand from thousands to tens of thousands of farmers, verify outcomes across fragmented holdings and work within state policies governing agriculture, water and electricity subsidies. Farmers must also receive timely advice and reliable payments if they are to replace established flooding practices.
The agreement could provide a test of whether digitally verified agricultural methane credits can operate at scale. Its relevance extends beyond India: Vietnam, Bangladesh, Thailand and the Philippines also have large rice sectors and substantial methane emissions. Replication will depend on credible verification, lower monitoring costs and more standardized carbon-credit methodologies.
