The American Forest Foundation (AFF) has inked a landmark 15‑year agreement with Netflix, with the streaming giant committing to purchase verified carbon credits from AFF’s Fields & Forests (F&F) program — an ambitious initiative turning underused fields in the U.S. South into thriving, working forests.
“Netflix’s partnership shows what’s possible when business and nature come together,” said John Ringer, Senior Director of Project Finance and Environmental Markets at AFF. “With the right investment and science, natural climate solutions can be both a powerful and credible tool to address our most pressing conservation challenges. We’re grateful for Netflix’s leadership, and we invite other companies to follow their lead by investing in new approaches that support America’s rural communities and family‑owned forests.”
Founded in 1981, AFF works with family forest owners nationwide to improve the health and productivity of their woodlands through sustainable management. The F&F program is designed for small-acreage landowners — a group that has historically been excluded from the voluntary carbon market due to high upfront costs and complexity. AFF removes those barriers by covering all site preparation and tree planting, providing ongoing technical support, and delivering annual payments over 30‑year contracts.
So far, the program has enrolled 2,500 acres of family‑owned land, with a goal of 75,000 acres by 2032 — an estimated 4.8 million carbon credits. Netflix’s investment will help launch the first 6,000 acres and accelerate expansion across the U.S. South. The company also provided critical early‑stage financing through milestone prepayments, tying upfront funding to key targets such as acres enrolled.
