With current proposed 45Z tax credit framework, common agricultural practices like cover crops, reduced tillage, and nutrient management may impact the carbon intensity (CI) of the crops that are raised as feedstock. However, inconsistent data collection methods, unfinished tools, and unclear verification protocol have made it challenging for ethanol producers to identify and incorporate improvements to agricultural CI scores into their overall CI strategies. To address this challenge, BASF has introduced Circalo: Low Carbon Intensity Crops, which is a comprehensive platform that connects farmers, agronomists, and ethanol producers with the tools to operationalize agricultural CI under the evolving regulatory framework. Chad Asmus, sustainability market development manager with BASF Agricultural Solutions, said the program creates a seamless transfer of information.
Asmus said farmers should start by talking with their agronomists about what practices and data they need to look at to identify their CI scores.
Many of the conservation practices that lower CI scores are big investments, so Asmus said it’s important for farmers to get the extra value they need to have these practices make financial sense.
For more information, visit xarvio.com.
