LandPrint measurement and certification

What makes your solution innovative?

LandPrint addresses the challenge of scaling regenerative and climate-smart farming practices by creating financial incentivizes linked to a new way to measure, certify and value the environmental quality of farmland. It utilizes a comprehensive set of indicators in the categories of carbon, biodiversity, water quality and quantity, soil health, and productive resilience to generate a LandPrint score for each farm. This score can then be used in regenerative agriculture programs to providing financial incentives for farmers to adopt more sustainable practices by re-pricing food and develop better investment terms based on the LandPrint certified farm environmental quality.

In addition to its comprehensive set of indicators, LandPrint also utilizes cutting-edge digital technology such as satellite data, drones, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. This enables more accurate and efficient assessment of a farm's environmental performance and allows for targeted recommendations for improvement and it is unprecedented in environmental certifications.  By incorporating technology in its certification process, LandPrint addresses the challenge of scaling regenerative and climate-smart farming practices.

Compared to traditional sustainability certifications that primarily focus on compliance with a set of predetermined standards, LandPrint takes a more holistic approach by assessing the overall environmental performance of a farm. This allows for a more nuanced understanding of a farm's impact on the environment and provides targeted recommendations for improvement. By providing a market-based solution that values environmental quality, LandPrint also incentivizes continuous improvement and innovation in sustainable agriculture practices.

LandPrint has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts by driving widespread adoption of regenerative and climate-smart farming practices. As more farms adopt these practices, they can help mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote the health of local ecosystems. Additionally, by improving soil health and water quality, these practices can also lead to increased productivity and profitability for farmers in the long term.

In terms of changing the market, LandPrint has the potential to disrupt the current system by creating a new market for sustainably produced food. By re-pricing food based on its environmental quality, LandPrint can incentivize farmers to adopt regenerative practices while communicating consumers how to choose sustainably produced food over conventionally produced food. This can create a positive feedback loop where demand for sustainably produced food drives more farmers to adopt regenerative practices, leading to greater environmental and economic benefits for everyone involved. Ultimately, LandPrint has the potential to transform the food industry by making sustainable farming practices more economically viable and mainstream.

What are your impact goals for the next year and the next five years, and how will you achieve them?

LandPrint's impact goal for the upcoming year is to finish testing the LandPrint concept in partnership with a major trader. We are currently finalizing a contract negotiation to test the LandPrint on 6,000 hectares of farmland. We are also engaging other corporations and financial institutions to end 2023 with at least 10.000 hectares of committed testareas. Our five-year plan is to establish a beachhead market of at least 500,000 hectares. This goal has been determined through market analysis to be a critical tipping point for wider adoption of LandPrint measurement and repricing strategy. To achieve this goal, we will pilot the LandPrint solution with corporate clients in small-scale pilot programs, and then scale up with more comprehensive solutions to expand the scope and scale of the program.

This will be achieved through a phased approach, starting with small pilot programs with F&B corporations and financial institutions as clients. These pilots will allow us to fine-tune our solution and demonstrate its value to potential clients.

Once the pilots are successful, we will work with the F&B corporations and financial institutions to develop more comprehensive solutions to expand the scope and scale. This could include offering our solution to their entire supply chain or even to other F&B corporations. Our focus will be on developing long-term partnerships with these corporations, leveraging their expertise, resources, and reach to achieve our impact goal.

To achieve this impact goal, LandPrint will also need to engage with other stakeholders in the agriculture and environmental space, including farmers, NGOs, and government agencies. We will work closely with these stakeholders to ensure that our solution is aligned with their needs and priorities, and that we are driving positive environmental and social impact.

Overall, LandPrint's approach is to start small, demonstrate the value of our solution, and then scale up through strategic partnerships with F&B corporations and other stakeholders. Through this approach, we believe we can achieve our impact goals and catalyze broader positive impacts in the agriculture and environmental space.

LandPrint's impact goals are as follows:

1. Increase the adoption of regenerative farming practices by at least 50% over the next five years among all farmers in its network.

2. Improve environmental quality and resilience: LandPrint goal is to improve the environmental quality and resilience of farmland with an average increase of 20% over 5 years using the 37 KPIs LandPrint uses to characterize biodiversity, carbon, water, soil health and productive resilience.  

3. Increase market recognition and demand for regenerative products: LandPrint aims to increase market recognition and demand for regenerative certified products by engaging at least 15 major food companies and financial over the next five years.

4. Build a global community of regenerative farmers: In the next year, LandPrint aims to expand its network of regenerative farmers by 50%, and over the next five years, it aims to build a global community of 10,000 regenerative farmers.

Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?

• 12. Responsible Consumption and Production
• 13. Climate Action
• 15. Life on Land
• 17. Partnerships for the Goals

How are you measuring your progress toward your impact goals?

·      Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC): This is the cost of acquiring a new customer or corporate partner. LandPrint can track how much it costs to acquire a new partner or customer and work to lower this cost over time.

·      Churn Rate: This is the rate at which customers or corporate partners are leaving the program. LandPrint can track the churn rate and work to keep it as low as possible.

·      Total revenues generated vs profitability" refers to the comparison of the total amount of revenue generated by LandPrint with its overall profitability. This indicator helps to track the effectiveness of LandPrint's business model in generating revenue while still maintaining profitability, which is critical for the long-term sustainability of the solution.

·      Reduced measurement costs vs profitability" refers to the comparison of the costs of measuring the impact of LandPrint's solution with its overall profitability. As LandPrint relies on accurate measurement and verification of its impact, it is important to track the costs of these activities and ensure that they are not eating into the profitability of the solution. By reducing measurement costs while maintaining profitability, LandPrint can become more efficient and sustainable over time.

·      Hectares under regenerative management: This is the number of hectares of land that have been transitioned to regenerative management practices using the LandPrint approach. This is a key indicator of impact for LandPrint's mission.

·      Soil organic carbon sequestration: This is the amount of carbon that is being sequestered in the soil due to regenerative management practices. This is an important indicator of the climate impact of LandPrint's approach.

·      Farmer income: This is the increase in income that farmers are experiencing as a result of implementing regenerative management practices. This is an important indicator of the social impact of LandPrint's approach.

·      Biodiversity: This is the increase in biodiversity that is being observed on farms that have transitioned to regenerative management practices using the LandPrint approach. This is an important indicator of the ecological impact of LandPrint's approach.

By tracking these indicators and working to improve them over time, LandPrint can measure its progress and impact towards achieving its goals.

Here are a few additional indicators that LandPrint is using to measure progress towards the SDGs:

·      SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) - The amount of carbon sequestered by LandPrint's regenerative farming practices, which could be used as a proxy for overall environmental impact.

·      SDG 13 (Climate Action) - The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and production oscillations caused by climate shocks achieved through increased LandPrint's scores and regenerative practice adoptions.

·      SDG 15 (Life on Land) - The percentage of farmers who have implemented LandPrint's practices and have seen improvements in biodiversity on their land.

·      SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) - The number and quality of partnerships formed with corporate clients, financial institutions and other organizations to scale the impact of LandPrint's work.

What is your theory of change?

Theory of Change: “If F&B corporations and financial institutions provide new pricing mechanisms and financial resources based on the farm environmental quality (LandPrint), then farmers are incentivized to adopt regenerative agriculture practices and nature base solutions, resulting in its widespread dissemination and leading to improved soil health, increased biodiversity, reduced environmental impacts, and positive social and economic outcomes.”

Assumptions:

 -Farmers are willing to adopt regenerative agriculture practices if they are provided with the necessary financial incentives to de-risk their investments in the transition process, resulting also with longer term improved margins and reduced risks

-F&B corporations source from regeneratively produced products and financial institutions improve farmers’ investment terms if LandPrint certified farms improve their margins, reduce their physical, economic/financial and reputational risks and prove progress toward their ESG objectives

-The widespread adoption of regenerative agriculture practices reduce production costs and leads to improved ecosystem preservation and restoration through better soil health, increased biodiversity, reduced environmental impacts, and positive social and economic outcomes.

 Activities:

 1.Monitoring the environmental performance of supply chain. Develop a solid monitoring protocol that monitors the environmental and economic performance of farmers who adoption regenerative practices and the economic impact they deliver to the corporate and financial sector.

2.Help corporations understand the real problem of their supply chain. With a clear environmental monitoring protocol (LandPrint protocol), the F&B sector has a deep understanding of the problem and is forced to change behavior because mostly of internal pressure. The real impact that environmental degradation and climate instability have on its supply chain is fully perceived.

3.Re-pricing commodities based on LandPrint score. Provide a pricing structure that links the environmental quality of a farm to lower risks and deliver higher longer term economic benefits for the farmer and the corporation.

4.Capacity building. Farmers that receive better prices for their regenerative production seek for professional support to adopt regenerative agriculture practices, improving the quality and offering of technical assistance and training markets.

5.(Corporate) policies and regulations. Over the long term, new (public and corporate) policies and regulations incentivize the food sector to source more and more from regeneratively produced products.

6.New markets. The scaling up of regenerative markets and supply chains increase awareness about the benefits of regeneratively produced product and demand.

Outputs:

-Farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices because of new pricing structure that reflect the environmental quality of their farm

-F&B corporations source from regeneratively produced products.

-Markets and supply chains for regeneratively produced products are developed.

-Consumers are more aware of the benefits of regeneratively produced products.

-Adoption and impact of regenerative agriculture practices are monitored and evaluated.

Outcomes:

-Improved soil health.

-Increased biodiversity.

-Reduced environmental impacts.

-Positive social and economic outcomes for all market players.

-Reduced production costs and investment risks (farmers, financial institutions and F&B corps)

Impact:

 -Regenerative agriculture becomes the norm, leading to a more sustainable and resilient food system.

-Environmental and social challenges related to conventional agriculture are reduced or eliminated.

Describe the core technology that powers your solution.

The LandPrint solution relies on the use of satellite imagery, remote sensing, and other advanced technologies to gather data on various aspects of a farm's environmental quality, including soil health, water management, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. This data is then processed and analyzed using sophisticated algorithms and machine learning models to generate a comprehensive environmental score for each farm.

More specifically, the LandPrint solution is powered by the Floreviewer platform, developed by the Bioflore’s carbon and biodiversity experts. The platform employs artificial intelligence (AI) and remote sensing technology to streamline the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) process for measuring and verifying environmental attributes like forests and carbon. The traditional MRV process is complex, data-intensive, and primarily based on periodic surveys, analog and digital documents, and extensive field data collection, leading to inefficiencies, high risks of errors, and difficulties in standardizing information for verification and issuing new carbon credits.

Floreviewer is a measurement platform that uses AI and remote sensing approaches to streamline data processing, calculate baseline scenarios, quantify forest carbon stocks, monitor vegetation changes and biodiversity, and identify and monitor high Conservation Values (HCVs) related to floristic diversity in the project zone. The platform has four macro-functionalities:

1. Automate and centralize the analyses performed within the project designing and monitoring, including determining baseline scenarios, monitoring vegetation changes, and estimating forest aboveground biomass.
2. Build an online interface that facilitates document sharing with the audit team during the validation and verification process, improving transparency and traceability of how data has been collected and processed, and providing easy access to raw data, spatially explicit data, and dashboard for statistical results.
3. Create access and user-friendly space in the platform that is accessible for stakeholders, landowners, traders, brokers, buyers, and members of the society interested in knowing more about the project outcomes, and provide an integrated system to streamline monitoring and verification processes and enhance data access to various stakeholders.
4. Develop a mobile application to facilitate the collection of field data.

The Floreviewer platform has two main modules, one for the project manager and the other for the independent auditor (Validation and Verification Body or VVB). The project manager module has three major components: one where information from multiple sources is stored and organized based on project type and predefined categories, another where raw data is automatically processed and standardized, and a third where numerical and graphical results such as spreadsheets from forest inventory and LiDAR point clouds are displayed on an interactive dashboard with 3-D graphs, and the processed data can be readily exported into reports for further analysis. The water, soil health and productive resilience measurements are being developed in a similar way.

All these measurements are then processed in the LandPrint-Floreviewer platform using algorithms to score the farmland using the measured environmental attributes and then using econometric algorithms that link the LandPrint score, regenerative practice adoption, farmers’ production costs, the market price of the commodity, as well as the demand and supply factors affecting the market. Subsequently, the platform issues a digital certificate that includes all relevant information, including the pricing factors, that is then transferred to the farmers in digital formats.

Which of the following categories best describes your solution?

A new business model or process that relies on technology to be successful

Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:

• Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
• Big Data
• Blockchain
• GIS and Geospatial Technology
• Imaging and Sensor Technology
• Internet of Things
• Software and Mobile Applications

If your solution has a website or an app, provide the links here:

https://www.landprint.earth/

In which countries do you currently operate?

• Brazil
• Italy

In which countries will you be operating within the next year?

• Brazil
• Italy
• Panama
• United States

What type of organization is your solution team?

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

How many people work on your solution team?

5 full time; 7 part time contractors. Key people: Marco Curatella, CFO–30 years of experience in various finance-related positions in major banks and funds. Laura Prada, Agronomist and certification specialist. 20+ years experience in certification systems with the corporate sector. Heitor Eduardo Fiilpi: Forest engineer with extensive experience in biodiversity mapping Guttardo Pereira (Bioflore): Computer scientist, works with software development in agricultural technology for 10+ years.

How long have you been working on your solution?

LandPrint evolved from Adapta Sertao, a pioneering climate-resilient farming program in Brazil that started in 2006 and won 15 awards, including UNFCCC's "Momentum for Change" in 2018. It offers a scalable certification mechanism to promote regenerative agriculture and attract investments.

What is your approach to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusivity into your work?

LandPrint is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of its work. We recognize the importance of acknowledging and honoring the traditional stewards of the land on which we operate, including Indigenous Peoples, and their enduring relationship with their territories. We are committed to engaging and reflecting the various communities we serve through partnerships and open innovation. One of the ways that LandPrint does this is by working with farmers of all backgrounds and promoting regenerative agriculture practices that benefit all farmers, regardless of their socio-economic status. LandPrint also aims to support technical assistance and training to small-scale farmers and cooperatives, who may face more challenges in adopting sustainable practices.

We strive to design our policies, practices, and resources with the goal of providing people of all backgrounds a genuine opportunity to thrive, in alignment with Solve's commitment to equity. We recognize the value of human-centered, inclusive technologies in solving world challenges, and we seek to support social entrepreneurs who share this vision. Additionally, LandPrint is committed to promoting gender equality in agriculture and empowering women farmers. The company also seeks to create a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the communities it works with.

Furthermore, we are committed to anti-racism in all our work, consistent with Solve's core values of partnership and inclusive technology. We believe that solutions designed with the most underserved populations in mind benefit everyone, and we are committed to creating an environment in which everyone feels valued and respected, consistent with Solve's commitment to inclusion. LandPrint transparency and accountability as its core principles, regularly sharing information and data with stakeholders and partners to ensure that the impact it generates in partnership with its clients and beneficiaries is equitable and inclusive.

What is your business model?

LandPrint is a company that provides a digital system called LandPrint, which measures and certifies the environmental quality of farmland. The LandPrint system is offered as a Platform as a Service (PAAS) model, which means that users can access it through the internet.

The LandPrint system operates in two main phases: a pilot phase and a scaling up phase. During the pilot phase, LandPrint's clients are food corporations and financial institutions, who pay for small-scale measurements to understand their environmental footprint. This involves using LandPrint's system to collect data on 37 quantitative KPIs related to carbon, biodiversity, soil health, water, and productive resilience.

Based on the results of the pilot measurements, LandPrint works with the corporations and financial institutions to frame a regenerative agricultural program. This program provides different types of financial and non-financial incentives to farmers, such as repricing food and receiving better loan terms using the LandPrint certification, capacity building, and technical assistance programs. The objective of the pilot phase is to define a regenerative agricultural program that is financially viable and attractive for both farmers and corporations/financial institutions.

During the scaling up phase, the regenerative agricultural program is implemented across the supply chain. In this phase, the farmers pay for the LandPrint measurement and certification, while the food corporations and financial institutions provide the financial and non-financial incentives that have been determined as viable during the pilot phase.

Overall, LandPrint's business model revolves around providing a digital measurement and certification system for farmland environmental quality, with food corporations and financial institutions as its clients and farmers as the beneficiaries.

LandPrint's platform charges its clients for:

1. Environmental measurements. The first product is the measurement of environmental attributes using 37 quantitative KPIs related to carbon, biodiversity, soil health, water and productive resilience.

2. LandPrint Score: LandPrint provides then a score using the environmental measurements that qualifies the environmental quality of farmlands. This score is calculated using the LandPrint specific algorithm.

3. Certification: Farmers receive a digital certification that certifies the level of environmental quality of their farmlands once they meet certain environmental standards set by LandPrint. 

4. Monitoring and Reporting: LandPrint tracks and reports on the environmental performance of farmers over time, providing regular updates to both farmers and their clients.

5. Repricing commodity and develop financial structures. LandPrint helps food corporation in repricing commodities and reducing supply chain investments risks using the LandPrint score to boost the adoption of regenerative farming practices along the supply chain.

6. Training and Support: LandPrint provides a basis for farmers to seek training and support to adopt regenerative agricultural practices and improve their environmental performance.

1. Subscription Fees to access LandPrint's measurement, score and certification services.
2. Monitoring and Reporting Fee where food and beverage corporations and financial institutions pay a fee to access LandPrint's monitoring and reporting services, including the re-pricing feature.
3. Training and Support Fees
4. Partnership Fees where LandPrint partners pay for the program management

Do you primarily provide products or services directly to individuals, to other organizations, or to the government?

What is your plan for becoming financially sustainable?

LandPrint's plan for becoming financially sustainable is based on a combination of revenue streams and partnerships. Here are some of the key elements of their strategy:

1.     Certification fees: LandPrint charges farmers a fee for certifying their land using their system. This revenue stream is expected to cover the cost of operating the LandPrint platform, including the cost of data collection, analysis, and reporting.

2.     Corporate partnerships: LandPrint is partnering with F&B corporations that want to source regeneratively produced products. These corporations are paying LandPrint to help them identify and certify farmers who are producing these products. This revenue stream is expected to grow as more corporations seek to source sustainable products.

3.     Financial partnerships: LandPrint is partnering with financial institutions that want to invest in regenerative agriculture. These institutions are paying LandPrint to help them identify and evaluate farmers who are implementing sustainable practices. This revenue stream is expected to grow as more institutions seek to invest in sustainable agriculture.

4.     Grants and funding: LandPrint is also seeking grants and funding from foundations and other organizations that support sustainable agriculture. This funding will be used to support research and development of the LandPrint platform, as well as to help farmers implement sustainable practices.

5.     Equity investments from venture capital (VC) to increase its competitiveness. This involves raising funds from outside investors who provide capital in exchange for a share of the company's ownership. LandPrint is currently being incorporated in Delaware with 2 subsidiaries (Brazil and Europe). The goal of raising equity capital is to fuel growth and expansion of LandPrint's business and increase its valuation. With the funding from venture capital, LandPrint plans to invest in research and development to further enhance the LandPrint technology, expand its team to include experts in areas such as data analytics, agronomy, and machine learning, and scale its operations to reach a larger customer base. In addition to the financial resources, venture capitalists also bring in their expertise and networks to help LandPrint grow and succeed. They can offer guidance on strategic decisions, provide access to industry contacts and potential partners, and help LandPrint navigate the competitive landscape.

6.     Impact investors. As a socially and environmentally focused enterprise, LandPrint aims to attract impact investors who are willing to invest in companies that generate both financial returns and positive social and environmental impact. By demonstrating the potential for a triple bottom line - people, planet, and profits - LandPrint can attract investors who are interested in supporting sustainable business models.

Share some examples of how your plan to achieve financial sustainability has been successful so far.

LandPrint's financial sustainability plan has been successful so far through a combination of raising funds, contracting with clients, and generating revenue through the Floreviewer platform.

The company has raised a total amount of USD 150k from various sources, with the majority of contributions coming from the Land Innovation Fund/AgTech Garage "Sustainable Soy in the Cerrado" program. This indicates that LandPrint's innovative solution is being recognized and supported by reputable organizations in the agricultural industry.

In addition to these contributions, LandPrint has also received equity investments from its founders and contracted with a major soy trader in Brazil to test the concept on 6000 hectares. This shows that the company has been able to secure important partnerships and clients, further validating its solution.

Furthermore, the Floreviewer platform has been generating revenue through other specific measurement jobs totaling an additional USD$ 150k. This demonstrates that LandPrint's solution is not only innovative but also has practical applications that can generate revenue.

To continue its growth and success, LandPrint is incorporating in Delaware to improve its corporate structure and raise additional funds. The company aims to invest in enhancing the Floreviewer platform and developing a solid pipeline of clients. Two LandPrint subsidiaries are already in operation - LandPrint Soluçoes Tecnologicas LTDA, the Brazilian subsidiary, and Reversa, an Italy-based LLC. The latter is developing a joint development agreement to expand the LandPrint model on the European market, indicating that the company has a clear strategy for expansion and is actively pursuing it.

In summary, LandPrint's financial sustainability plan has been successful so far through a combination of raising funds, contracting with clients, and generating revenue through its platform. The company's partnerships and subsidiaries also demonstrate a clear strategy for growth and expansion.