Enhanced Bayer Carbon Program offers growers new opportunities in 2021 and beyond

ST. LOUIS — Building on the success of the Bayer Carbon Program launched last summer, the company announced enhancements to the program, providing new opportunities for U.S. growers to participate for the 2021-2022 program season.

Highlights include a significant geographic expansion, nearly doubling the number of states where growers are eligible to participate.

For the first time, growers who have previously adopted some climate-smart farming practices also may be able to enroll those acres in the program.

The Bayer Carbon Program takes a farmer-centric approach by offering growers simplicity, certainty and flexibility. By paying U.S. farmers for implementing climate-smart farming methods such as strip- or no-till and cover crops, which help sequester carbon in the soil, farmers receive guaranteed payments and are rewarded for how they produce, not just what they produce.

“Farmers are at the center of the solution when it comes to helping sequester carbon and addressing climate change,” said Jackie Applegate, president of Crop Science, North America. “By enabling farmers to benefit in a simple and transparent way, Bayer is uniquely positioned to help growers capture value created by these sustainable farming practices.”

The streamlined approach has become a hallmark of Bayer’s program. It offers certainty and pays growers for the verified practices farmers adopt on each enrolled acre, without growers having to decipher the amount of carbon they generate.

“Through our Carbon Advisory Panel and meetings with growers, we’ve heard from farmers that they appreciate the simplicity of the program, which allows them to focus on what they do best — raise a crop,” said Leo Bastos, head of Carbon Business Model.

“We are excited to build on the success of the program’s first year and offer even more growers the chance to participate in the program. This is just the beginning. We’re continually exploring new ways and opportunities to help deliver added benefits to farmers.”

In addition to generating additional revenue, participating in initiatives like the Bayer Carbon Program and implementing climate-smart farming practices may provide farmers with important benefits such as the potential for improved soil health that can result in increased yields and profitability of farmers’ operations.

Enhancements for the 2021-2022 program season include eligibility for growers who have adopted strip- or no-till or cover crops on fields on or after Jan. 1, 2012.

In addition to the nine states that were part of the program’s first year — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio — new states where growers are now eligible to participate are Arkansas, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Learn more or enroll in the 2021 Bayer Carbon Program by visiting www.BayerCarbon.com.