How one AI startup helps rice farmers battle climate change

TL;DR

• Mitti Labs uses AI to measure methane emissions from rice paddies and to verify climate-friendly farming practices.
• The company partnered with The Nature Conservancy to promote regenerative, no-burn agriculture in India.
• Its software can measure, report, and verify emissions reductions and track carbon credits for on-the-ground projects.
• Smallholder farmers often see a meaningful bottom-line boost when participating in these programs, roughly around a 15% improvement in their earnings.
• Beyond rice-specific work, Mitti is exploring how to measure Scope 3 emissions for other project developers or corporations working with rice farmers.

Context and background

Rice farming is a notable source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that, over a 20-year window, is about 82 times more impactful than the same amount of CO2. Rice paddies are typically flooded, creating anaerobic soil conditions that support methane-producing microbes. Globally, rice farming contributes roughly 10–12% of total human-caused methane emissions. The vast majority of rice is grown in Asia, with around 90% of production occurring there, and many rice-growing regions share similar smallholder farmer dynamics. Remote sensing offers a path to scale verification costs, enabling large programs without prohibitive on-site equipment costs. Mitti’s approach pairs satellite data with ground studies to power its AI models.

What’s new

The Nature Conservancy and Mitti Labs have formalized a partnership to promote regenerative, no-burn agriculture in India. Mitti will apply its AI-powered models to measure, report, and verify the on-the-ground work conducted by The Nature Conservancy’s teams in India, where farmers are adopting climate-friendly practices. Co-founder Xavier Laguarta notes that most project operations on the ground are performed by locals from the villages where projects are implemented. In addition to rice-specific work, Mitti is exploring software features that can help third parties measure Scope 3 emissions for other project developers or corporations working with rice farmers, positioning Mitti as a potential SaaS solution for organizations operating in this space.

Why it matters (impact for developers/enterprises)

• For project developers and corporations: verified methane reductions can be quantified and reported, enabling carbon credit monetization.
• For farmers and rural communities: participation can translate into direct financial benefits through carbon-credit mechanics and improved profitability.
• The collaboration with a major conservation organization helps scale regenerative practices across large farming regions and provides a model for partnerships that blend tech, finance, and on-the-ground work.

Technical details or Implementation

Mitti’s software analyzes various signals from rice farms to estimate methane release across the growing season. The data pipeline relies on two primary data sources:

• Satellite imagery: Used to identify geospatial patterns and track changes over time.
• Radar data: Capable of penetrating clouds, vegetation, water, and soil to assess what’s happening underground where methane-producing microbes live. These data streams are fed into AI models trained on satellite data and complemented by extensive field studies. On-the-ground operations are conducted by locals in the villages where projects take place, helping keep verification costs reasonable for smallholders. In addition to emissions measurement, Mitti tracks carbon credits—taking a portion of the sale and distributing the remainder to farmers and the community. The company also notes that most farmers see a meaningful improvement in their bottom line after joining programs, offering an economic incentive to participate alongside environmental benefits. Below is a simplified view of data sources and purposes: | Data source | Purpose | Benefit |---|---|---| | Satellite imagery | Monitor geospatial patterns and seasonal methane signals | Scales observations across many farms with reduced field deployments |Radar | Penetrates clouds, water, and soil to capture underground microbial activity | Provides measurements under typical flooded-rice conditions |Field studies | Calibrate and train AI models | Improves accuracy and reliability of methane estimates |

Key takeaways

• AI-enabled measurement and verification can support scalable, on-the-ground climate programs in rice farming.
• Partnerships with conservation organizations can extend the reach of climate-smart practices to millions of smallholder farmers.
• Carbon credits linked to methane reductions offer a potential revenue stream for farmers while supporting broader emissions reductions.
• The approach emphasizes on-the-ground local participation and scalable remote sensing to manage costs.

References

• TechCrunch article: https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/26/how-one-ai-startup-is-helping-rice-farmers-battle-climate-change/