This project seeks funding for the development of the first carbon and biodiversity credit framework anchored in bison and other ruminant ecosystem services. This framework will enable grants, investments, and market-based finance mechanisms to support the restoration of grasslands through holistic management of bison across the Great Plains of the US and Canada.
Grounded in the Savory Institute's Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) protocol, this megafauna model, together with BGF's valuation methodology, integrates both leading and lagging indicators to guide management decisions that regenerate land. This methodology can also be applied globally to other ruminants, including cattle, sheep, and goats.
Properly managed ruminants play a vital role in healthy grasslands, which cover nearly 1/3 of the Earth's surface. These vast and fragile landscapes play a crucial role in ensuring a healthy future for us all.
Beyond land regeneration, the presence of bison enhances water infiltration and efficiency, greater resilience to drought, and expanded economic opportunities in Indigenous communities. Holistic management practices can increase soil water-holding capacities by 30% and raise land productivity by up to 40%.
Rigorous economic valuation assessments of bison-based ecosystem services (food security and biodiversity regeneration benefits) underpin the nature credit issuance.
