MORRISON, Ill. and ARLINGTON, Va., March 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge impactthe first and only blockchain-based agricultural data and measurement solution to connect brands to fully verified regenerative and organic supply chains, today announced an exclusive multi-year blockchain services agreement with Earth Optics, an industry leader in soil data mapping and measurement. Merge Impact is powered by Chainparency, a leading provider of blockchain technology. The partnership between Merge Impact and EarthOptics further connects regenerative and organic farmers to verified soil carbon outcomes to ensure supply chains have highly accurate and measurable carbon impact at the field level. Additionally, brands will have full visibility into the connections between soil outcomes, climate goals and producer impact through the tools provided by Merge Impact.

The need for carbon-rich and nutrient-rich food production has never been more critical, with the United Nations projecting a 50% increase in food demand by 2050, when the population is projected to reach ten billion. Furthermore, according to scientific estimates, modern agricultural practices have caused a loss of 120 billion tons of carbon in the soil. However, it is thought that up to 65 billion tonnes of carbon could easily be returned to soil through practices such as reduced tillage, better nutrient management and more accurate feedback from measurement data.*

“The rapid overuse of our soil resources requires that we transform the way we produce food by supporting the livelihoods of the regenerative and organic farmers we rely on more than ever before,” said Ben Adolph, founder and CEO of Merge Impact. “Merge Impacts’ partnership with EarthOptics will enable a scalable solution for measuring baselines for supply chains, while Merge Impacts’ blockchain verified data services provide the integrity and opportunity to drive more positive change to field level.Together, we are bringing value back to producers.

Today, approximately 28% of farmers are actively implementing practices that reduce their business’ carbon footprint, and 17% are considering their options. Soil health is a concern for 94% of growers, with 20% indicating they are extremely concerned about the issue.** EarthOptics technology provides high-resolution maps with accurate field total carbon measurements that detect year-over-year changes demonstrating soil carbon sequestration during a harvest season. With Merge Impact, EarthOptics data is securitized on the blockchain, giving farmers the ability to increase return on investment to improve soil.

“The EarthOptics technology suite gives farmers more insights into soil data than ever before,” says Lars Dyrud, CEO of EarthOptics. “Our technology quantifies the amount of carbon sequestered not just an estimate, but a total analysis on the ground. It benefits the entire food value chain from new revenue streams for farmers to peace of mind for consumers about the sustainability of their food choices “.

With 56% of consumers indicating they would be more loyal to a brand if they could see at a glance that the company is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint**, the Merge Impact and EarthOptics partnership enables brands to reliably demonstrate to consumers their timely and meaningful progress towards their climate commitments.

“There has never been a more crucial time to make changes in how we produce our food, and the vast scale of the food system is key to making positive change for our future livelihoods and the planet,” he said. said Beth Robertson-Martin, Co. -Founder and VP of Partnership Development at Merge Impact. “The partnership between Merge Impact and EarthOptics provides farmers with a roadmap to demonstrate comprehensive and accurate soil measurements that are traceable, verifiable and credible to brands and consumers.”

For brands, Merge Impact provides an easy way to:

• MEASURE The environmental impact of food and agricultural production, from water to carbon to biodiversity and more.
• VERIFY Blockchain technology ensures the credibility of the food supply chain and the environmental and sustainability claims of brands.
• CONNECT Merge Impact connects regenerative brands and farmers, so they can create a positive climate impact.
• CREATE A radically transparent food economy that ensures all Earth stakeholders, farmers, consumers and brands benefit from verified regenerative practices.

Go to www.mergeimpact.com to learn more about how Merge Impact’s blockchain-based measurement and data solutions combined with EarthOptics technology are providing a new protocol for measuring and mapping soil health and contributing to a climate-positive food future.

About Merge Impact
Merge Impact is the first and only blockchain-based agricultural measurement and data solution to connect brands to fully verified regenerative supply chains, while providing regenerative and organic farmers with comprehensive field-level measurement and ecosystem services. The result is a radically transparent food economy that ensures all Earth stakeholders, farmers, consumers and brands benefit from verified regenerative practices. With its partners, Merge Impact measures the environmental impact of agricultural production by monitoring nearly every data point on the farm, from water to carbon to biodiversity and more. Merge Impact is an essential brand partner connecting brands with the verified data they need to achieve their climate goals. Founded on the farm, Merge Impact enables and empowers farmers to measure and monetize the impacts of regenerative agricultural practices with just a click. www.mergeimpact.com

About EarthOptics
At EarthOptics, we see the ground. Otherwise. GroundTruth Ag, Inc., dba EarthOptics, was founded in 2018 and has offices in Raleigh, North Carolina; Arlington and Blacksburg, Virginia; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Fayetteville, Arkansas. EarthOptics is an agricultural technology company developing next-generation soil sensing technologies that give growers revolutionary insight into the physical characteristics of their soil. EarthOptics beat out three finalists and over 100 international ag-tech startup entries to win the AGCO Innovation Challenge Award during the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit 2021. We believe underground precision and innovation in the soil space is long overdue . Our ultimate goal is to provide soil health insights at the point of care related to physical, chemical and biological attributes of soil in real time. To achieve this, we assembled a team with diverse backgrounds in engineering, software development, geospatial analytics, data science, machine learning, logistics, and operations.

To find out more, visit www.earthoptics.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/earthoptics/.

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