Cool Farm Alliance

What Cool Farm Alliance does

Cool Farm Alliance is a UK-registered Community Interest Company founded in 2008 by Unilever and Prof. Pete Smith of the University of Aberdeen to give agricultural supply chains a shared, science-based way to measure environmental impact. It operates the Cool Farm Tool (CFT) and the next-generation Cool Farm Platform (CFP), online calculators that quantify greenhouse gas emissions, water use, biodiversity, and food loss and waste across multiple crop-specific pathways — Annual Crops, Perennial Crops (including tea, coffee, cocoa, nuts, and palm oil), Paddy Rice, Potato, and Dairy & Beef. Methodology is grounded in IPCC-aligned, peer-reviewed research and includes a process-based Soil Organic Carbon model for perennial systems that uses satellite weather data to simulate carbon sequestration outcomes. The platform has achieved Carbon Trust Assurance against ISO 14067, the GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting Standard, and PAS 2050:2011.

The Alliance serves food and beverage corporates (HEINEKEN, Danone, Bel Group, ADM, AB InBev, McCain, Straus Family Creamery), agritech integrators (Syngenta Cropwise, Epoch, Root Global), certification bodies (Rainforest Alliance, regenagri, Regenerative Organic Alliance, Better Cotton Initiative), NGOs, academics, and individual farmers. Distribution is multi-channel: free self-serve web app, API access for Commercial Licensees, and OEM/embedded integrations inside partner platforms.

Its business model combines a freemium web tool with Alliance membership subscriptions, tiered Commercial and Non-Commercial licensing, paid API access, and a paid Training and Certified Advisors programme. Governance is via a Supervisory Board representing corporate members and academic institutions, with the Secretariat led by CEO Richard Profit and a staff of approximately 23 people based in Grantham, England. The entity is a not-for-profit, holds no disclosed funding rounds or subsidiaries, and generates revenue exclusively through operating activities.

Name

Cool Farm Alliance

Legal name

Cool Farm Alliance Community Interest Company

Website

https://coolfarm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cool Farm Alliance is a UK not-for-profit that operates the Cool Farm Tool and Platform — science-based calculators used by food and beverage companies, farmers, agritech platforms, and certification bodies to measure greenhouse gas, water, biodiversity, and food loss impacts across global agricultural supply chains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Sustainability Software

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Carbon, Sustainability & MRV Services for Farms (Baseline, Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) (AFACACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm Data Management & Decision Support Services (FMIS Setup, Data Integration, Analytics) (AFACACAC), Climate-Smart Farming & GHG Reduction (Emissions Accounting, Methane/N2O Reduction Practices) (AFAGAMAH), Interoperability & Data Connectivity Services (API/ETL, ISOXML/AgGateway, Equipment Data Sync) (AFACACAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural carbon accounting
• Sustainability measurement software
• Supply chain emissions tracking
• Regenerative agriculture tools
• Farm environmental assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Grantham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Pre-competitive alliance membership model with enhanced tool access, knowledge sharing, and collaborative development. Different membership tiers for commercial and non-commercial users.
2. Commercial Licensing: Commercial Licensee arrangements requiring separate license agreements with membership fees. Non-Commercial Licensee (personal use, educational, non-profit, government) granted limited free access.
3. API Access: API access provided to Commercial Licensees with potential additional charges or fees for API usage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cool Farm Alliance operates the Cool Farm Tool (CFT) and Cool Farm Platform (CFP), which are online calculators that quantify greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity impact, water use, and food loss and waste across agricultural supply chains. The methodology is grounded in peer-reviewed research and IPCC methodologies, with crop-specific pathways for perennial crops, annual crops, paddy rice, potatoes, and dairy & beef. The organization operates as a pre-competitive alliance with membership-based access for commercial users and free basic access for farmers and non-commercial users.

Product overview

Cool Farm Alliance offers a unified product ecosystem centered on the Cool Farm Tool (CFT) and its next-generation Cool Farm Platform (CFP). The core Cool Farm Tool is an online carbon footprint calculator providing standardized metrics for greenhouse gases, biodiversity, water use, and food loss and waste, used by tens of thousands of users in 150 countries. The newer Cool Farm Platform serves as the unified platform home for all assessment pathways, including Perennial Crops, Annual Crops, Paddy Rice, Potato, and Dairy and Beef. The platform features specialized modules including the process-based Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) model that uses satellite-based weather data for predictive modeling of carbon sequestration. Cool Farm Training and Certified Advisors provide professional support for tool utilization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cool Farm Tool (CFT)

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% average carbon reduction and 40% increase in carbon sequestration in HEINEKEN 2021 crops
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Root GlobalcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 July 2025Root Global, European market leader in emissions management, integrates Cool Farm methodology to provide audit-ready, FLAG-compliant emissions calculations. Supports Bel Group and other processors in scaling farm-level emission reduction with data validation, centralized analytics, and reduction scenario modeling.
• SolidaridadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2024Solidaridad testing new Soil Organic Carbon model within Perennial Pathway in Climate Heroes programme with smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers in East & Central Africa. Collaboration on training local teams and field testing SOC model with farmers.
• EpochcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 September 2024Epoch integrates Cool Farm Tool to provide comprehensive Scope 3 emissions for agriculture and forestry-linked supply chains. Combines Epoch's biomass emissions, biodiversity, water metrics and supply chain data-sharing with Cool Farm's scientific emissions calculations. Particularly serves Global South with localized data access.
• SAI PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2024Joint Regen Reflections webinar series - member-only educational programme supporting transition to regenerative agriculture. Eight-session learning journey covering getting resourced, grounded, results, just transition, tipping point, and tying it all together.
• SyngentacoreTechnology or Integration · 22 July 2024Integration of Cool Farm Tool (CFT) into Syngenta's Cropwise Sustainability application, enabling growers to measure estimated GHG emissions on farms paired with custom recommendations from Cropwise to reduce environmental footprint. CFT is now used by many leading food and beverage companies for supply chain environmental impact measurement.
• Conservation International - Sustainable Coffee ChallengecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2024Partnership to drive sustainable global coffee supply chain. Ground-breaking baseline study in Latin America leverages Cool Farm Tool for data quality and sector alignment on carbon footprint accounting. Joint Coffee Working Group for collaboration on coffee tool development and industry-wide guidance.
• GHG ProtocolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2023Cool Farm Tool alignment assessment with GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance (LSRG), identifying gaps and roadmap for compliance with new land use emissions accounting requirements.
• Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2023Assessment of CFT alignment with SBTi Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance and Net Zero guidance for setting emission reduction targets in land-based sectors.
• 3KeelminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner3Keel supported Cool Farm team in assessing alignment of Cool Farm Tool with GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Guidance, SBTi Forest Land and Agriculture Guidance, and SBTi Net Zero guidance.
• Tilda RiceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTilda Rice used detailed data collection supported by Cool Farm Tool to achieve carbon reductions while improving soil health, biodiversity, and pest control in India operations.
• First MilkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFirst Milk measuring soil carbon at field and landscape level using Cool Farm Tool to support farmers in adopting regenerative practices and building supply-chain insight.
• SuedzuckerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSuedzucker using data reporting and benchmarking through Cool Farm Tool to identify clear pathways to regeneration while reducing GHG footprint.
• Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCRI leads the LUNZ Footprint Project research programme with Cool Farm as key partner, working with 100 farmers and three calculator providers to scale GHG footprinting and shape UK carbon policy.
• Cranfield UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in LUNZ Footprint Project investigating how GHG accounting tools like Cool Farm Platform can be scaled sustainably and equitably.
• Rainforest AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRainforest Alliance recommends Cool Farm Tool as preferred calculator for certified farmers, first standard to pilot CFT at scale for documenting and estimating crop emissions.
• regenagri (Control Union)coreGTM or Marketing Partnerregenagri standard hardwired into digital hub connecting certified farmers to Cool Farm Tool via API, enabling ISO 14064-5 verification of carbon data.
• Regenerative Organic AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerROC requires farmers to use Cool Farm Tool or similar computer-based modeling tools to determine annual GHG emissions and sequestration.
• Better Cotton InitiativecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBCI found CFT users had significantly lower GHG emissions; partnering with Gold Standard testing CFT for scalable emissions monitoring.
• Gold StandardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Cool Farm Alliance member partnering on project testing CFT as scientific, credible approach to monitor emissions change over time.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Soil Capital: Soil Capital operates a regenerative agriculture certification and carbon program for European farmers, Vice-Chair-represented on Cool Farm's board. Comparable because it generates verified soil-carbon outcomes for crop producers using similar farm-level MRV approaches.
• Regrow: Regrow provides agriculture-focused MRV and Scope 3 emissions modeling, combining remote sensing and process-based crop models to quantify and monitor regenerative practice outcomes. Directly overlaps Cool Farm's perennials, annuals and supply-chain monitoring value proposition.
• CIBO Technologies: CIBO Technologies builds crop and soil simulation models used by food and ag buyers to measure and incentivize regenerative practices across supply chains. Closely comparable to Cool Farm on methodology-driven Scope 3 accounting for large ag buyers.
• Agreena: Agreena operates a carbon farming platform that quantifies and verifies Scope 3 reductions for European arable farmers, issuing certified soil carbon certificates. It is the most directly comparable commercial equivalent to Cool Farm Tool for the EU row-crop segment.
• Root Global: Root Global is a European platform integrating emissions data across dairy, meat and crop processors with audit-ready, FLAG-compliant calculations. It is simultaneously a Cool Farm integration partner and a competing commercially-licensed product serving overlapping dairy and crop buyer segments.

Emerging players

• Syngenta Group (Cropwise Sustainability): Syngenta's Cropwise Sustainability app embeds the Cool Farm Tool, but Syngenta's broader digital agronomy stack and sustainability recommendations makes it a partial competitor as well as a channel partner for grower-facing GHG measurement.

Others

• Verra: Verra runs the VCS carbon credit program and is exploring agricultural methodology integration. Comparable as another standards-level reference point that shapes how farm-level GHG calculations are accepted in voluntary carbon markets, alongside Cool Farm's preferred-calculator positioning.
• SAI Platform: SAI Platform is a pre-competitive food and beverage industry membership organization running Farm Sustainability Assessment and the joint Regen Reflections webinar series with Cool Farm. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; more of a programmatic partner and member of Cool Farm's ecosystem.
• Gold Standard: Gold Standard is a leading voluntary carbon credit standard that has partnered with Cool Farm and Better Cotton Initiative to test CFT for monitoring emission changes over time. Comparable as an adjacent MRV/standardization player in the carbon ecosystem rather than a direct calculator competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Indigo Ag: Indigo Ag is a larger, venture-backed agriculture sustainability platform combining biologicals, grain marketing and carbon programs (Indigo Ag Carbon). Comparable to Cool Farm at the buyer-facing Scope 3 level but much broader in product scope and geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CoolFarmTool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cool-farm-alliance

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cool Farm Alliance