TASC, a leading carbon project developer, has achieved a global first with the issuance of certified Climate, Community and Biodiversity carbon credits from its pioneering Grassland Restoration and Stewardship in South Africa (GRASS) project – a landmark initiative restoring the country’s degraded rangelands. The issuance of 266,255 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs) is the first to carry the Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) label under Verra’s VM0042 methodology, providing independent assurance that climate mitigation is being achieved alongside measurable social and environmental co-benefits. GRASS was the first project registered under VM0042.
The challenge
South Africa’s livestock sector covers 34 million hectares but faces extreme weather, poor productivity and degraded soils. A third of the country’s grasslands are already severely damaged by poor or non-existing management practices. Communal farmers own half the country’s livestock but supply just 9% of the meat market, lacking access to training, markets and income opportunities.
The solution
TASC’s pioneering Grassland Restoration and Stewardship in South Africa (GRASS) project was developed with the goal of supporting the restoration of South Africa’s communal rangelands, some of the most socially and ecologically complex landscapes in the country. The project has since expanded to include commercial farmers alongside communal landholders.TASC partnered with Meat Naturally Africa, a highly respected South African social enterprise at the forefront of inclusive livestock farmer development, to equip communal farmers with regenerative grazing skills while unlocking real market access through mobile auctions and abattoirs. Ecorangers and farmers are trained in regenerative grazing, fire management, livestock production, business record-keeping, invasive alien plant management, and biodiversity monitoring.
Carbon revenues generated by the project are channelled back through a community trust, directly rewarding participation, strengthening local livelihoods, and creating long-term economic opportunity across rural communities.
The impact
GRASS today represents one of the largest grassland restoration initiatives globally – delivering climate mitigation while restoring ecosystems and supporting rural employment at scale.The project currently spans over 605,000 hectares in the communal rangelands, engages more than 10,000 farmers and has created 900 jobs, nearly a third of which are held by women. It has also generated approximately ZAR56.4 million (~$3.350 million) in additional revenue for participating farmers through livestock and wool market access. More recently, TASC has expanded GRASS to include private, commercial sector farmers, with total rangeland under management increasing to 950,000 hectares. TASC plans to scale the project to 2 million hectares under management by 2030, which is forecast to sequester or avoid nearly 2 million tonnes of CO2e annually. Over its 100-year commitment, GRASS aims to mitigate 14 million tonnes of CO2e in the first 30 years alone.
Reflecting on the milestone, Shelley Estcourt, CEO of TASC Africa, said “This issuance is a significant milestone that validates a core principle of our pioneering carbon project, that restoring degraded grasslands can simultaneously sequester carbon, strengthen biodiversity, and improve livelihoods in communal areas – not as an add-on, but by design.
“At a time when scrutiny of carbon markets is intensifying, GRASS demonstrates what high-integrity carbon can achieve: real emissions reductions, restored landscapes, and tangible benefits for communities that are often left behind. We’re educating and empowering local farmers to build long-term resilience in their landscapes and businesses, while providing measurable environmental benefits to help businesses across the globe achieve their net zero goals.”
Sarah Frazee, CEO of Meat Naturally, added “We are proud to have co-developed this pioneering project with TASC and are thrilled to see the traditional grazing and fire management systems in GRASS independently validated – not just for its global contribution to carbon sequestration but for its contribution to biodiversity and livelihood benefits in a changing climate.”
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