What The Good Rice Alliance does

The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA) is a private partnership entity founded in 2022 and majority-owned by Bayer AG, with GenZero (Temasek's decarbonization investment platform) and Shell Nature-Based Solutions as co-partners. The company generates high-integrity carbon credits by enrolling Indian smallholder rice farmers (cultivating less than 2 hectares) to transition from conventional continuously-flooded paddy cultivation to sustainable practices, primarily Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), which can reduce irrigation water use by up to 30% and methane emissions by interrupting anaerobic decomposition, and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), which can reduce water consumption by 12–35%. As of October 2024, TGRA operated across 13 Indian states, covering 35,000+ hectares with 12,000–13,000+ enrolled farmers and was delivering methane reductions equivalent to approximately 120,000 tonnes of carbon per year.

The technical backbone is the proprietary TGRAMS management system and a Digital MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) application that captures over 120 data points per farm per season, including timestamped, geo-tagged photographic evidence cross-referenced with satellite data. TGRA works with the International Rice Research Institute on direct closed-chamber methane measurements, and its credits are verified under Verra's Verified Carbon Standard using the VM0051 methodology for improved rice management, with a pilot project under Gold Standard validation. In August 2025, TGRA received a BeZero Carbon 'Ae' ex ante rating — the top-quartile certification and the highest rating for any rice project on BeZero's platform — providing independent validation of credit quality and execution likelihood.

TGRA's business model is a transaction-based B2B enterprise sales motion that aggregates verified credits from thousands of smallholder farmers and sells them to corporate buyers through long-term offtake agreements. The flagship commercial milestone is a $30 million long-term offtake agreement with Amazon (announced April 2026) covering more than 685,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent credits during the initial crediting phase. Distribution is direct enterprise sales targeting corporate sustainability teams, with no consumer-facing channel; on the supply side, TGRA works through 11 grassroots implementation partners and field officers recruited from local farming communities to onboard and train farmers at scale.

Name

The Good Rice Alliance

Legal name

The Good Rice Alliance

Website

https://tgra.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Good Rice Alliance is a Bayer-led partnership that generates verified methane-reduction carbon credits by enrolling Indian smallholder rice farmers in sustainable practices (AWD and DSR), selling aggregated credits to enterprise buyers such as Amazon through long-term offtake agreements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Credit Generation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Timber Tract Operations (11311)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Soil Carbon & Regenerative Agriculture Removal (Soil Organic Carbon Credits) (EUABAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project-Originated Carbon Credit Marketing & Offtake (Primary Market) (EUAGAIAC), Carbon Removal Credits Trading (DAC, BECCS, Biochar, Mineralization) (EUAGAIAL), Carbon Offtake Structuring & Contracting (ERPA, Long-term Offtakes, Price Floors) (EUABADAE)

Keywords

• Carbon credit generation
• Sustainable rice farming
• Methane emission reduction
• Climate-smart agriculture
• Smallholder farmer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Carbon Credit Sales: TGRA generates carbon credits by enabling smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable rice cultivation practices (AWD and DSR). These verified carbon credits are sold to corporate buyers through long-term offtake agreements. Revenue is transaction-based, derived from the sale of CO2-equivalent credits during crediting phases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Good Rice Alliance generates high-integrity carbon credits by enrolling smallholder rice farmers in India into sustainable cultivation programs using Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) practices, which reduce methane emissions and water use. These verified carbon credits are aggregated from thousands of farmers and sold to enterprise buyers through long-term offtake agreements, underpinned by a proprietary digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) platform.

Product overview

The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA) operates as a unified carbon credit generation platform that combines three core offerings: the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) sustainable farming methodologies, which are the primary mechanisms for methane emission reductions, supported by a proprietary Digital MRV Application for measurement, reporting, and verification. TGRA's platform enables smallholder rice farmers to generate high-integrity Verra Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) credits that are sold to corporate buyers such as Amazon, with the MRV system serving as the backbone that ensures transparency and credibility across the entire program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA) Carbon Credit Program Sustainability initiative that generates Verra Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) credits by supporting smallholder rice farmers in India to transition from conventional flooded rice cultivation to sustainable practices. Targets enterprise buyers seeking high-integrity methane reduction credits.
• Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Practice Water-saving rice cultivation method where fields are alternately flooded and non-flooded, guided by a perforated field water tube (Pani pipe). Reduces irrigation water use by up to 30% and methane emissions by minimizing anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in soil. Used by participating smallholder farmers to qualify for carbon credit issuance.
• Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) Practice Rice cultivation method where seeds are directly sown into the field, eliminating puddling and traditional nursery-based transplanting. Offers water savings of 12-35%, reduced GHG emissions, and improved soil health. Implemented across enrolled smallholder farms.
• Digital MRV Application Proprietary digital platform for farmer onboarding, ongoing management, activity monitoring, and data collection with timestamped and geo-tagged photographic evidence cross-referenced with satellite data. Provides transparent measurement, reporting, and verification of carbon credits across the program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces irrigation water use by up to 30%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AmazoncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2026Amazon signed a $30 million long-term offtake agreement as the primary buyer of over 685,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent carbon credits from TGRA. Amazon is committed to advancing scalable solutions for climate impact and supporting high-integrity methane mitigation credits.
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Bayer, a global enterprise with 125+ years in India, is the parent company of TGRA. Bayer has extensive experience supporting smallholders and advancing rice agronomy, contributing expertise in sustainable agriculture and agricultural technology. Bayer's mission 'Health for all, Hunger for none' guides the partnership's focus on food security and climate mitigation.
• Shell Nature-Based Solutions / Shell Energy IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Shell's nature-based solutions business works to protect and enhance natural ecosystems that capture CO2 emissions, benefit local communities, and improve biodiversity. Shell NBS uses carbon credits from these projects to help both Shell and customers decarbonize.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRRI collaborates with TGRA on direct closed-chamber based methane measurements in rice paddies. Their expertise in rice research and GHG emission measurement methodology (endorsed by Clean Development Mechanism and Gold Standard) ensures scientific rigor in emission quantification.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cloverly: API-driven carbon credit marketplace and infrastructure provider used by enterprises to procure offsets. Comparable on the buyer-side transactional stack for high-integrity credits such as those TGRA produces.
• Pachama: Marketplace and MRV platform for nature-based carbon credits including forestry and agriculture. Comparable in connecting enterprise buyers to project-originated credits via technology-driven verification.
• Nori: Blockchain-based carbon removal marketplace focused on agricultural and soil-carbon supply. Overlaps with TGRA on the buyer side of agricultural carbon credits and on the methodology/MRV discourse.
• Indigo Ag: One of the largest US-based agricultural carbon credit platforms (Indigo Carbon), aggregating growers across multiple crops and selling to enterprise buyers. A broad incumbent with overlapping buyer-side GTM in voluntary carbon markets.
• CIBO Technologies: Agricultural carbon modeling and verification platform partnering with growers and enterprises to issue and monitor soil carbon credits. Comparable in offering digital MRV and grower-network carbon programs, though broader in crop scope.
• CarbonFuture: Carbon credit issuance and trading infrastructure for nature-based and removal projects. Comparable in providing the credibility layer (registry, MRV) that enterprise buyers demand from agricultural carbon suppliers.

Direct peers

• Grassroots Carbon: Aggregates smallholder and rancher land-management practice changes into soil/avoided-emissions carbon credits with rigorous MRV. Closely comparable grower-aggregation + agricultural carbon credit model, though focused on U.S. rangelands.
• Varaha: India-based climate-tech that generates nature-based carbon credits from smallholder agriculture (including rice and agroforestry) and sells to enterprise buyers such as Microsoft. Closest direct competitor to TGRA in Indian rice/methane carbon credits.
• Boomitra: Operates a regenerative agriculture carbon credit platform covering rice and other crops in India and emerging markets, aggregating smallholder farmers and selling verified credits to corporate buyers. Mirrors TGRA's grower-aggregation + digital MRV model.

Emerging players

• Loam Bio: Australian agricultural biotech issuing carbon credits tied to microbial seed coatings and improved soil carbon on farms. Compares as an emerging agricultural carbon originator with a science-led differentiation story.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thegoodricealliance
• Xx.com/BayerRCP
• Facebookfacebook.com/bayerricecarbonprogram

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Good Rice Alliance