Our certification
Unlocking the international voluntary carbon market for smallholder farmers by streamlining the certification activities as a program.
Our agroforestry projects are certified with Plan Vivo, an independent certification body that specializes in smallholder forestry projects. As a leading certifier in community land-use projects, they work with us to ensure our projects are truly benefiting farmers, their land, and the environment.
How we make certification more accessible
To successfully certify a project and the CRUs generated, each project undergoes a thorough initial assessment to measure eligibility and additionality, alongside collecting a range of baseline data.
We recognize, however, that certification is not always easy for project coordinators or accessible for smallholder farmers. So we've made our certification process as straightforward as possible: our framework and methodology keep the certification process accessible and transparent, while reducing the costs and lead times of certification significantly. For example, we define and monitor only a few impact indicators (local livelihood, carbon storage, and environmental improvement).
Our framework and methodology
Our certification approach and the requirements that projects must adhere to are described in the Acorn Framework.
> Download the Acorn Framework v1.0 here
The complementary Acorn Methodology describes the processes involved when measuring and calculating CRUs. The Methodology has been externally assessed and approved by the Plan Vivo Foundation and an accredited validation and verification body: AENOR.
Now available is the latest methodology and errata to describe improvements and corrections made going from Methodology Version 1.0 to Methodology Version 1.1.
> Download the Acorn Methodology v1.1 here > Download the Acorn Errata here
Why validation and verification are important
Validation and verification are critical to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of our projects. Validation is the initial assessment to confirm a project's design and expected outcomes, while verification measures and evaluates the actual results post-implementation. These processes provide transparency and accountability to help ensure our projects deliver real climate and community benefits. By adhering to rigorous standards, we can build trust with farmers, partners and buyers.
The Sampling Approach and Program Certification document details the certifier-approved sampling approach and processes Acorn follows to confirm the veracity of its projects and program
> Download the Sampling Approach and Program Certification
Currently, every Acorn project is initially validated and verified before sold Carbon Removal Units can be retired. Once validated and verified Carbon Removal Units will be retired immediately.
For more detailed information, you can refer to our FAQ on validation and verification assessments.
Previous validation reports
Full project documentation available upon request.
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