Theme: From Pastoralism and Agriculture to Carbon Finance: Sustainable Rangelands, Regenerative Agriculture and Climate-Resilient Livelihoods
Register Now – ₹500
Agriculture and pastoralism are vital to Tamil Nadu’s rural livelihoods, food security and biodiversity. However, climate variability, land degradation, declining soil fertility, water stress and shrinking grazing lands pose increasing challenges to farmers and pastoralist communities.
The Convention on Sustainable Pastoralism, Agriculture and Carbon Finance 2026 will bring together farmers, pastoralists, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), researchers, policymakers, financial institutions, technology providers and carbon-market stakeholders to explore innovative and practical solutions for sustainable land management and climate action.
The convention will focus on sustainable pastoralism, rangeland restoration, regenerative agriculture, soil carbon sequestration, carbon markets and climate-resilient livelihoods. It will integrate traditional ecological knowledge with scientific research, digital technologies, robust measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, and institutional finance to advance community-led climate solutions. Aligned with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026, the convention aims to strengthen farmer- and pastoralist-led carbon initiatives, promote equitable benefit-sharing, foster institutional partnerships and identify pilot projects that contribute to environmental sustainability and resilient rural livelihoods.
Promote sustainable grazing practices, grassland conservation and restoration, and community-led management of rangelands.
Advance regenerative farming, soil restoration, soil carbon sequestration and climate-smart agricultural practices.
Explore carbon-finance opportunities for farmers and pastoralists, including India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) and relevant voluntary carbon-market mechanisms.
Strengthen carbon measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification through scientific methodologies, satellite monitoring, digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
Examine relevant Verra methodologies, including VM0042, VM0044 and VM0051, and their potential applications in agriculture, soil carbon and related land-management projects.
Strengthen collaboration among FPOs, pastoralist organisations, research institutions, government agencies, financial institutions and carbon-market stakeholders to develop inclusive, community-led carbon projects.
Identify scalable pilot projects that integrate sustainable land management, carbon finance and community participation to strengthen rural livelihoods and climate resilience.
The convention will explore the establishment of a Tamil Nadu Carbon Federation (TNCF) as a collaborative platform connecting Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), farmer and pastoralist organisations, research institutions, financial agencies, government bodies and technology partners. The proposed federation aims to strengthen institutional capacity, facilitate the development of credible farmer- and pastoralist-led carbon projects, promote scientific carbon measurement and digital MRV, improve access to carbon markets and climate finance, and establish transparent and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms. Through collective action and strategic partnerships, the proposed TNCF seeks to build an inclusive carbon-finance ecosystem that rewards sustainable land management, supports rural livelihoods and advances climate-resilient agriculture and pastoralism across Tamil Nadu.
The convention will explore relevant methodologies under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), subject to project eligibility, applicability conditions and applicable monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) requirements.
Exploring opportunities to quantify greenhouse gas emission reductions and soil carbon benefits through improved agricultural land-management practices.
Examining the potential of biochar production and utilization to support carbon removal and sustainable resource management.
Exploring opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through improved rice cultivation and water-management practices.
The discussions will assess the relevance of these methodologies to potential projects in regenerative agriculture, soil restoration and sustainable land management, while identifying opportunities for further technical assessment and project development.
Farmers, pastoralists, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), researchers, policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions, carbon-market stakeholders, NGOs, entrepreneurs, youth and women's groups, and all stakeholders committed to sustainable agriculture, pastoralism and climate action.
| Time | Programme Details | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 – 09:30 AM | Registration | Organising Team |
| 09:30 – 11:00 AM | Inaugural Session | — |
| 11:00 – 11:15 AM | Tea Break | — |
| 11:15 – 11:55 AM Session 1 | FAO–NABARD Collaboration: Advancing Climate-Resilient Agriculture through Innovative Finance and Carbon Markets | Mr. Krishnan & Mr. Vishal, FAO Indian Team |
| 11:55 AM – 12:35 PM Session 2 | Digital MRV, Satellite Technology and AI for Carbon Finance and Agriculture | Mr. Rishabh and Mr. Atul, Earthbanc, Australia |
| 12:35 – 01:05 PM Session 3 | Tamil Nadu Carbon Finance: From Policy and Technology to Implementation and Partnerships | Mr. R. Premkumar and Mr. M. Manimaran, Pasukootam Pvt. Ltd. |
| 01:05 – 02:05 PM | Lunch | — |
| 02:05 – 02:45 PM Session 4 | VM0042 Regenerative Agriculture Practices for Carbon Project Development | Mr. Narendra Kumar R. and Ms. Priyanka B., Kosher Climate |
| 02:45 – 03:20 PM Session 5 | Pastoral Practices, Soil Restoration and Carbon Finance: Scientific Research and Community-Based MRV | Dr. Birgit Habermann, Social Scientist, Kenya |
| 03:20 – 04:00 PM Session 6 | Verra's Verified Carbon Standard Methodologies: VM0042 and VM0051 – Opportunities for Farmers and Livestock Systems | Dr. Carolina Cardoso Lisboa, Senior Manager, Agriculture Innovation, Verra |
| 04:00 – 04:40 PM Session 7 | Institutional Perspectives on Agriculture, Pastoralism and Carbon Finance | TNAU, TANUVAS, RIVER, TSM-IA, Anna University |
| 04:40 – 05:40 PM Session 8 | Roadmap for Sustainable Pastoralism | SEVA, ATREE, FES, CfP, FPOs, farmers, pastoralists |
| 05:40 – 06:00 PM | Valedictory Remarks & Vote of Thanks | Organising Team |
Programme details are tentative and may be subject to change.
Date: Friday, 11 December 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM), Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
Registration Fee: ₹500 per participant
Register Now – ₹500Dr. P. Kabilan
Pastoral Bio-Economist, THOZHUVAM
Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
Madurai Kamaraj University College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Thozhuvam Farmer Producer Company Ltd.
(Initiated and Supported by NABARD-MABIF), TNAU (AC&RI)
Madurai – 625104, Tamil Nadu, India