Trusty | The new GHG Protocol Land Sector and Removals Standard is here: what it means for agri-food companies and how to get ready

On January 30, 2026, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol released version 1.0 of the Land Sector and Removals Standard, the first standardized framework for accounting for GHG emissions, CO₂ removals, and other metrics related to land use and agricultural activities. The standard will come into force on January 1, 2027, marking a turning point for all companies operating in agri-food supply chains.

Until now, emissions linked to the agricultural sector, which account for approximately 22% of global anthropogenic emissions, have been systematically underreported or excluded from corporate GHG inventories. This standard changes the rules of the game.

What changes in practice

Traceability becomes the core of climate reporting

The most significant innovation for agricultural supply chain companies is the central role that physical traceability plays in Scope 3 emissions reporting. The standard introduces a hierarchy of spatial boundaries, from the global level down to the individual harvested field, and the level of detail a company can achieve in its accounting directly depends on its ability to trace product origins along the value chain.

In practical terms: the more a company knows about where its raw materials come from, the more accurate and granular its reporting can be. To demonstrate physical traceability, the standard requires the implementation of traceability systems based on recognized chain-of-custody models, such as identity preservation, segregation, controlled blending, or mass balance, through certification programs or verifiable internal systems.

Land-use change emissions: mandatory reporting

The standard makes it mandatory to account for land-use change (LUC) emissions, including deforestation and conversion, over an assessment period of at least 20 years. Companies must calculate these emissions using the most accurate approach allowed by their data and traceability level, providing further incentive to invest in monitoring and origin-tracking systems.

Emissions and removals must be kept separate

Companies choosing to report CO₂ removals, for example from agronomic management practices, agroforestry, or capture technologies, must report them separately from emissions. It is no longer possible to offset one against the other within the same target: distinct goals are required for emission reductions and removal increases.

New principles: conservativeness and permanence

Alongside the traditional GHG Protocol principles (relevance, completeness, consistency, transparency, accuracy), the standard introduces two removal-specific principles: conservativeness (in cases of uncertainty, emissions should be overestimated and removals underestimated) and permanence (the obligation to monitor carbon storage over time and report any reversals).

Spatial data and monitoring: an increasingly important role

The standard requires the definition of explicit spatial boundaries, from national jurisdictions down to individual agricultural management units. This paves the way for systematic use of satellite, geospatial, and remote-sensing data to verify agricultural practices, land-use changes, and carbon storage across supply chains.

What this means for companies: an opportunity, not just an obligation

The standard is not designed only as a regulatory constraint. The GHG Protocol explicitly presents it as a tool to:

Identify risks and opportunities related to land-based activities (financial, regulatory, reputational risks)
Define mitigation strategies that reduce emissions and increase removals along the value chain
Set credible climate targets aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement
Improve transparency toward investors, customers, and stakeholders

Companies that move early will gain a significant competitive advantage: those prepared for 2027 will not simply comply with the standard, they will turn it into a strategic lever.

How Trusty can support companies on this journey

At Trusty, we have been working for years on agri-food supply chain traceability through blockchain technology, satellite data, and regulatory compliance tools. This new standard confirms and strengthens the direction we have followed from the start: physical, verifiable, and granular traceability is the prerequisite for any credible climate reporting.

We are already collaborating with partner companies in co-design activities to build solutions that meet the requirements of the Land Sector and Removals Standard. In particular, we focus on:

Traceability systems compliant with the chain-of-custody models required by the standard (identity preservation, segregation, mass balance), integrated into our blockchain platform
Integration of geospatial and satellite data to define spatial boundaries, monitor land-use change, and verify agricultural practices, also thanks to our partnership with e-GEOS (Leonardo Group)
Data collection frameworks at the level of individual Land Management Units (LMUs), with solutions designed for both large operators and small producers in countries of origin
Support for Scope 3 emissions reporting related to the agricultural sector, with tools that facilitate compliance without overburdening supply chains

We do not offer top-down, one-size-fits-all solutions. We believe in co-designing with companies that share our vision. If your company operates in the agri-food supply chain and wants to be ready before the standard comes into force, we can work together to design the most suitable path for your needs.