Home Approved Regenerating Standard Soil Sampling Coverage Rule (Cap & Coverage)

Soil Sampling Coverage Rule (Cap & Coverage)

Normative Annex

Version
Issue 1 / Rev 2
Approved
7 October 2026
Owner
AgriPurpose Foundation
Status
In force

Approved by Board of Trustees, AgriPurpose Foundation (Reviewed by Stakeholder Management Groups)

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In force since 7 October 2026. This online version is the authoritative reference; downloads are snapshots for convenience.

1 Scope

This annex defines the normative rules for annual soil sampling coverage and the sampling cap within the Approved Regenerating certification scheme. It is applied together with the SOC Sampling Protocol (Annex B).

2 Key terms

  • Soil sample: one laboratory-analysed composite sample (PSL) prepared according to the SOC Sampling Protocol (e.g., 10 soil cores per PSL).

  • Hectares per sample (ha/sample): total eligible area (ha) divided by the total number of soil samples (PSLs) taken in the sampling year.

  • Sampled field: a field selected for sampling in the year; each sampled field must contain at least 3 soil samples (PSLs).

3 Normative rules

  1. Each field’s re-sampling must be done at the same time of the year in the same position of the crop rotation.

  2. Sampling campaigns and locations must be managed with the AgriPurpose platform.

  3. To onboard, a minimum annual coverage until first full coverage: At least 25% of eligible fields shall be sampled per year until each eligible field has been sampled at least once. This sampling schedule must be repeated periodically at the same point of the crop rotation for the same field.

  4. Cap 1a - sampling intensity: The overall sampling plan shall not be more intensive than 1 soil sample per 3 ha on average across the operation (equivalently: operation-level average ha/sample >= 3).

  5. Cap 1b - field cap when intensity would be too high: If applying the minimum annual coverage and the minimum per-field requirement would result in an operation-level average ha/sample < 3 (i.e., more intensive than 1 sample per 3 ha), then the overall sampling shall be limited to one third of the operation's eligible fields (rounded down).

4 Practical computations

For a given sampling year:
ha/sample = (Total eligible area in hectares) / (Number of soil samples (PSLs) collected that year)
The plan complies with Cap 1a if ha/sample >= 3.

5 Evidence and documentation

  • AgriPurpose AG approves the sampling plan before sampling. For audited farms, the Certification Body verifies the sampling plan and its implementation.

  • Sampling locations and laboratory reports are retained as certification records.

  • Any deviation from minimum annual coverage due to the cap is documented with the computed ha/sample and the adjusted multi-year plan.