• Proba is an insetting leader that uses carbon insetting to reduce agricultural emissions.
• Nitrogen fertilisers increase agricultural emissions; these emissions exceed those produced by the aviation and marine sectors combined.

Amsterdam-based carbon finance company Proba recently raised €1 million to double down on its efforts to decarbonise the agri-food sector.

The company's sustainable partners, Future Food Fund, Yield Lab Europe, and Value Factory Ventures, led the funding. The proceeds will help the carbon finance startup accelerate its sustainability initiatives and scale verified insetting, turning sustainability commitments into financial value.

The agriculture industry is one of the largest emitters of carbon emissions, leading to increased climate change. Using fertilisers, particularly nitrogen fertilisers, is cited as a major contributor to the climate crisis, accounting for around 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, more than aviation and shipping combined.

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Though carbon reduction technologies already exist, businesses often hesitate to adopt them due to high costs and a lack of financial incentives.

What is Carbon Insetting? Difference Between Offsetting and Insetting

Proba will zero in on insetting to reduce emissions. Unlike carbon offsetting, which involves investing in external projects like planting trees to reduce carbon emissions, insetting lowers emissions within a company's supply chain. It directly impacts a company's operations by creating "insetting certificates" that verify emission reductions.

Using these certificates, a company's supply chain partners, including food producers and distributors, can invest in and support sustainable practices, making it financially rewarding for the company to adopt low-carbon technologies.

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Sijbrand Tieleman, CEO and co-founder at Proba said: "With this investment, Proba is set to transform supply chains, turning sustainability into a benefit for agri-food leaders worldwide. Decarbonization in agriculture isn’t something companies can tackle alone. It requires shared investment, shared benefits, and real collaboration across supply chains. With the addition of two experienced agri-food tech investors, we’re accelerating our mission to make insetting a standard tool for nancing sustainability."

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Source: Proba