Farmers apply climate-smart practices
Farmers implement improved water, straw, and crop management practices.
L-CAM
Low-Carbon Assurance Module (L-CAM)
This project was possible thanks to a grant from the ISEAL Innovations Fund, which is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and UK International Development from the UK government (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
What is L-CAM?
Rice cultivation can be a significant source of methane emissions, particularly under prolonged flooding. Facilitated by SRP, the Low-Carbon Assurance Module (L-CAM) is developed to help measure, verify, and communicate greenhouse gas reductions from rice farming in a credible, practical, and scalable way. It links on-farm practices, such as water and straw management, to measurable climate outcomes without creating additional burdens for farmers.
How Does It Work?
L-CAM follows a clear and practical process:
Key field data are recorded
Simple, auditable data below are collected each season:
Field size, Crop calendar, Water management during the season, Straw management after harvest and Fertilizer use
Satellite data and field records are combined
Remote sensing helps confirm crop cycles, water presence, and straw burning, while farmer records provide detail and context.
Emissions are calculated using international methods
L-CAM applies IPCC-consistent Tier 2 approaches where available, uses conservative default parameters where needed, and includes safeguards to prevent over-estimation of climate benefits.
Results are independently assured
SRP’s assurance system reviews data and calculations to build confidence for buyers and partners.
Who Benefit and How?
L-CAM Implementation
L-CAM is being rolled out through a phased, learning-by-doing approach. Implementation began with an initial pilot in India, designed to test the module in real-world conditions before replication in other rice-producing countries, including Viet Nam.
India – L-CAM Pilot
India was the first country to implement L-CAM, serving as a practical testing ground for how the module performs across diverse rice-growing contexts. The initial pilot—co-funded by Mars Foods and Nutrition —was deliberately set up to move beyond theory, focusing on how improved rice management practices could be translated into credible, assurance-ready climate data at scale.
Implementation was carried out in close collaboration with value-chain partners LT Foods and Ebro India, ensuring that L-CAM was tested within operational farming and sourcing systems rather than controlled or artificial settings. To support robust measurement, reporting, and verification, Regrow acted as the MRV partner, helping to operationalize data collection and climate performance assessment.
Through this pilot, L-CAM was:
- Tested under real farming and value-chain conditions
- Used to refine data requirements, monitoring approaches, and assurance processes
- Shaped by practical lessons on scalability, usability, and farmer engagement
The insights generated in India laid the groundwork for further refinement of the L-CAM approach and informed its replication in other country contexts.
Viet Nam – Replication and Refinement
Building on the experience gained in India, Viet Nam is the second country to implement L-CAM, marking a transition from initial piloting to structured replication and refinement. The implementation applies lessons from the India pilot while testing how L-CAM performs in irrigated rice systems, where water management plays a decisive role in methane emissions.
Delivery in Viet Nam is being carried out in collaboration with Lotus Rice as the implementation partner, embedding L-CAM within existing production and sourcing systems. Measurement, reporting, and verification activities are supported by CarbonFarm, strengthening the robustness and coverage of climate data. The initiative is further supported by Rol Ryz, operating within the Euricom Group, reinforcing alignment with commercial value-chain actors.
This ongoing initiative focuses on:
- Applying the improved L-CAM design in irrigated rice systems where water management strongly influences methane emissions.
- Combine farmer-reported data with satellite monitoring to strengthen data quality and coverage.
- Testing L-CAM’s ability to operate at larger scale and its alignment with existing rice programs.
- Informing how L-CAM can be integrated into SRP’s broader assurance and digital systems.
By moving from pilot testing to scaled application, lessons from Viet Nam will directly inform the evolution of L-CAM and support future implementation across other rice-producing regions.
Get Involved
Please provide the following information to learn more about L-CAM or express interest in future pilots.
