OCP, Ambipar, Liga do Araguaia and IAVA to Restore Up to 100,000 Hectares of Degraded Pasture Areas and Generate Carbon Credits in the Araguaia Valley
30 July 2025, Brazil: OCP Group, the world leader in plant nutrition solutions and phosphate-based fertilizers – through OCP Brasil, subsidiary of OCP Nutricrops – and Ambipar, a global leader in environmental management, announce the ALM Green Carbon of Araguaia project, in partnership with Liga do Araguaia and Instituto Agroambiental do Vale do Araguaia (IAVA), two local organizations focused on sustainable rural development in the Araguaia Valley.
The project aims to restore up to 100,000 hectares of degraded pastures in the Araguaia Valley, in Central-West Brazil, and generate high-integrity carbon credits, through the adoption of sustainable practices (Agricultural Land Management – ALM). The Araguaia Valley is in Cerrado, one of the world’s most diverse biomes – it covers more than 20% of Brazil’s landmass and is home to thousands of plant and animal species.
In the first three years, the project foresees the restoration of up to 80,000 hectares on approximately 60 farms, while the second phase expands the scope to a total of 100,000 hectares. The project has a duration of 50 years, with the first carbon credit issuance expected to occur within 3 to 5 years.
“As a champion for soil health, the initiative aligns closely with OCP’s mission of achieving a sustainable future by feeding the soil to feed the world. The project will see the restoration of up to 100,000 hectares of degraded pasturelands in Brazil, a country of strategic importance for global food security. This partnership re-enforces OCP’s commitment to strengthen food security, highlighting how proper fertilizer management can mitigate and reverse the consequences of climate change and nature loss in regions such as the Araguaia Valley.” Naoufal Mahdar, Senior VP Decarbonization & Climate Action at Corporate Sustainability & Innovation Office – OCP Group.
The ALM Carbono Verde Araguaia project will follow a scientific, structured approach to achieve its goals, involving:
- Raising awareness among the local communities regarding the importance of sustainable agricultural practices;
- Recruiting cattle ranchers committed to carbon farming and sustainable soil management;
- Collecting soil samples to assess current carbon levels;
- Training for cattle ranchers on soil health, sustainability, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
For Ambipar, a company with extensive expertise in projects of this nature, initiatives like this are essential to accelerate the decarbonization of global economies, connecting companies and institutions that lead this agenda.
“Ambipar reaffirms its leading role in the construction of high-impact environmental solutions. This new partnership represents a milestone in the integration between environmental conservation, territorial development and carbon credit generation. We are structuring a traceable production chain, which promotes food security, values local assets and generates climate, social and economic benefits. This is how we deliver scalable, longlasting and replicable solutions for Brazil and the world”, highlights Soraya Pires, Global Head of Carbon Solutions at Ambipar.
This action plan will encourage cattle ranchers to adopt best practices aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving soil health and increasing carbon capture, such as:
- Management of cover crops;
- Efficient application of fertilizers, based on the 4R approach (right nutrient, right amount,right time, right place), and other inputs;
- Use of precision agriculture tools.
Progress will be closely monitored throughout the project: there will be technical field visits to monitor the implementation of the practices and thus maximize carbon capture and storage.
“The transformation of agriculture depends on the union of science, technology, and sustainable practices. This project was built on a previous OCP successful initiative on carbon farming in Brazil and greatly expands our contribution to strengthening livestock farming and decarbonizing the country. We believe in innovation as a driver of more efficient, nature positive agricultur” says Marcos Stelzer, CEO of OCP Brasil.
The wider adoption of sustainable practices aimed at improving soil health – including the proper handling of phosphorus, a vital nutrient for plant development – will enable the restoration of degraded areas, the increase in livestock production and the generation of high-quality carbon credits for the benefit of different stakeholders.
“The launch of the Araguaia Green Carbon Project, in partnership with Ambipar and OCP, and two groups of rural producers organized in a totally local and organic way, the Araguaia League and the Agroenvironmental Institute of the Araguaia Valley, marks a great joint effort to accelerate the adoption of new production practices and to scale new business models” says Braz Peres Neto, President of Liga do Araguaia.
“The Araguaia Valley of Goiás is a region that has traditionally been exploited by extensive cattle ranching, which has been causing, over time, the degradation of pasture areas. In recent years, the process of conversion of these degraded pastures into agricultural areas has begun in the region. I believe that the ALM Green Carbon project of Araguaia will be very important in this process of conversion of areas since it will disseminate regenerative management practices in the region that will contribute greatly to the sustainable development of the Valley” says Leonardo de Oliveira Gomes, President of Instituto Agroambiental do Vale do Araguaia (IAVA).
ALM refers to Agricultural Land Management, through the adoption of sustainable practices to increase farming productivity while protecting the environment and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
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