01 Nov

Report series on Regenerative Farming and Soil Carbon Sequestration now available!

Posted by Team Meros in Publications

Global interest in the role of regenerative agriculture and carbon farming continues to grow. There is deep interest in learning more about the potential of these approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and mitigate climate change risks. And there is deep interest in learning how these areas will be an opportunity, or a challenge, for companies and industries involved in global sourcing, supply chains and investment in food and agriculture.

Internationally, various mechanisms are being developed to provide financial and policy incentives for change, including soil carbon sequestration through the introduction of regenerative farming methods such as no-tillage and cover crops, and carbon credit generation through nitrous oxide suppression through nitrogen fertilizer reduction. Improved MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) technologies are being developed and tested in the market.

As companies expand their international business operations, they will be required to understand and  adapt to these changes. At the same time, these transformations in the global food and agriculture sector are being viewed as new business opportunities for companies who can provide products and services that support a transition to lower emission supply chains.  

Meros has created a three-volume report that gives an overview of the trends and developments in this sector. These reports are available as off-the-shelf reports or can be customized to suit the needs of specific companies.

Please contact us to discuss more! 

Volume 1: Trends in Regenerative Agriculture

  1. What is Regenerative Agriculture?
  2. Increased Usage of No-till Farming and Herbicide-resistant Seeds
  3. Incentive Mechanisms for Regenerative Agriculture and Private Sector/Financial Institution Initiatives
  4. Third-party Certification for Regenerative Agriculture
  5. Future Outlook for Regenerative Agriculture

Volume 2: Trends in Carbon Farming and Soil Carbon Sequestration

  1. What is Carbon Farming?
  2. Potential for Soil Carbon Sequestration in Agricultural Land
  3. Financial Incentives for Carbon Farming
  4. Carbon Pricing for Agricultural/Natural Sources
  5. Challenges and Future Outlook for Soil Carbon Sequestration

Volume 3: Private Sector and Government Initiatives in Carbon Farming (Focus on Europe and the United States)

  1. Private Sector Initiatives in Soil Carbon Sequestration
    • Certification Schemes for Agricultural Carbon Credits in Voluntary Carbon Markets
    • Private Company Marketplaces: Startup Initiatives
    • Private Company Marketplaces: Major Corporation Initiatives
  2. Government Initiatives in Soil Carbon Sequestration
    • U.S. Government Carbon Farming Initiatives and Subsidies
    • EU Government Carbon Farming Initiatives and the Carbon Removal Certification Framework
    • Australian Government’s ACCU Emissions Trading Scheme and Agricultural Carbon Credit Projects
  3. Future Outlook

If you are interested in how these trends may be impact your company in particular or how regulatory and market trends in regenerative farming, carbon sequestration and sustainable supply chains may impact your business, please reach out. Meros creates customized analysis and research to help in your business decision-making.  

inquiries@merosconsulting.com

17 Jun

Welcome Mako Irisumi, our summer research assistant!

Posted by Lucia Vancura in News

Meros is geared up and ready for our new summer research assistant Mako Irisumi. Welcome!

Mako is an undergraduate student at Wellesley College in the US, with a major in Computer Science and also a student researcher this past year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) D-Lab. She previously interned with the Japanese development consulting company Padeco on an infrastructure project in Romania. Mako is a Tokyo native but has been studying in the US since high school.

Meros is extremely busy right now and Mako has been able to jump right into projects and support our current work. She has been researching the sustainability goals of global start-ups related to regenerative agriculture and as well as supporting the kick-off of a new project with Hokkaido University and the Japan International Cooperation Agency that will focus on cassava and carbon markets in Vietnam.

Mako was an obvious fit for Meros. “I am strongly inspired by Meros’s global contributions to the food and agriculture sector, especially in agri-tech, and its diverse team. As a student researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) D-Lab, I conducted research on passive solar desalination to address water sanitation challenges in Madagascar last year. Our fieldwork in Madagascar for three weeks in January allowed me to witness firsthand realities of global poverty, especially food insecurity issues, fueling my desire to solve food insecurity worldwide. I also enjoyed collaborating with diverse teammates and engaging in global collaboration. Additionally, as a computer science major, I was very curious about how to solve this food insecurity issue from an agri-tech perspective. Therefore, Meros’s international impact in the agri-tech sector and its diverse team and clients align perfectly with my passion.”

Mako will be working on an independent research project that combines her interest in technology and economic development, by looking at Japan’s Rural 5G initiative that is exploring ways to bring 5G telecommunications to rural and agricultural communities in Japan. This will allow her dig into the various financing models for rural infrastructure, the benefits 5G can bring to farmers, the level of demand among farmers and the potential technologies that it may allow.

“This fall, I hope to improve my research skills. In addition to desktop research, I am excited to develop my abilities in conducting interviews and field research. Learning from experienced team members at Meros will be an invaluable opportunity for my professional growth.”

Like the rest of the Meros team Mako loves discovering new foods. “I love exploring new restaurants and have around 20 saved on my Google Maps just in the Meros neighborhood alone. I particularly love fish, especially mackerel (saba), as it is delicious whether grilled, stewed, or served as sushi.”

14 Apr

Meros is growing! Welcome Sachika Onaka Adcock as a full-time research analyst!

Posted by Team Meros in News

Meros is thrilled to welcome Sachika Onaka Adcock as a full-time research analyst! 

Sachika originally joined our team as a full-time intern in fall of 2023. Her background and interest in global markets and food systems and environmental science were the perfect mix for success at Meros.

Our team has been extremely impressed with her work so far exploring food loss in the apple value chain in Japan, investigating global schemes for protecting plant breeder rights and successfully supporting a Japanese company register for organic OMRI labeling in the US. She is now just back from a whirlwind field research trip in Southeast Asia with lots of stories to share. Her unwavering enthusiasm and curiosity is infectious and we are so pleased to have her on our team.

As she told us last fall, she was initially attracted to Meros because of the diversity of issues we tackle and its link to her core interests of both science and international affairs.

“Because I majored in physiology at university and took a minor in Earth Science, I had studied issues involved peripherally with food and agriculture. Specifically, I looked at food and nutrition in relation to human health along with soil science and challenges facing the agricultural sector due to climate change.”

“Within the very first week at Meros I realized just how much change and innovation is occurring within the food and agriculture sector. I am excited to continue to learn more about such diverse and various topics, including regulations and policies of different governments surrounding the food and agriculture especially as it relates to new and emerging agrifood technologies.”

Sachika is a graduate of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia where she studied Physiology and Earth Sciences. Sachika spent her childhood between Australia and Himeji, in the western area of Japan.