CL6-2026-BIODIV-06 | Agrobiodiversity payment design — methodology R&D, Pacific Rim organic farms

Greenback is developing verification infrastructure for bundled ecosystem services payments on organic farms in Aotearoa New Zealand. We have designed a measurement protocol integrating eDNA-based biodiversity monitoring, freshwater macroinvertebrate indices, soil health indicators, and satellite land cover data — but this methodology requires rigorous scientific validation before deployment. We are currently in pre-pilot phase, with a verification partnership with a government-owned agri-food assurance body in place and an organic certification farmer network as our intended entry point.

Market validation is in place: we hold a signed letter of intent from an anchor offtaker — a leading certified organic food company operating across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia — confirming commercial intent to purchase verified ecosystem services credits once the methodology is validated and the registry is operational. This means the research output has a confirmed commercial application waiting for it.

We are seeking a research consortium where our core methodology challenge — how to reliably measure, bundle, and attribute multiple agrobiodiversity outcomes at the farm level in a way that is scientifically defensible and practically scalable — aligns with the consortium's research agenda. We contribute domain expertise in organic certification operations, an existing framework design aligned with ICVCM Core Carbon Principles and internationally recognised biodiversity standards, Pacific Rim geographic coverage, and a committed farmer engagement channel. We are looking for partners with ecological measurement, biodiversity monitoring, or agrobiodiversity research expertise to co-develop and validate the methodology.