We value your privacy

We use cookies to improve usability and serve you more relevant content. You can refuse or withdraw consent by clicking on “Manage settings”.

background image

This simple farming technique can capture carbon for thousands of years

author image

By illuminem briefings

· 2 min read


illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Grist or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Farmers globally are turning waste biomass into biochar, a technique that sequesters carbon for thousands of years while enhancing soil fertility
•  In Kenya, this method is transforming invasive plants into valuable resources, improving crop yields and providing a new income source

🔭 The context: Biochar is produced through pyrolysis, which involves heating biomass in low-oxygen environments
•  This process creates a carbon-rich product that helps soils retain water and nutrients, offering an alternative to traditional biomass burning that releases carbon into the atmosphere

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Biochar’s ability to lock carbon in the soil for millennia makes it a powerful tool in combating climate change, offering a more reliable carbon offset than reforestation alone

⏭️ What's next: As biochar’s popularity grows, the global market could surge to over $3 billion by next year
•  Increased adoption could significantly enhance smallholder farmers' resilience to climate change while providing substantial carbon removal credits

💬 One quote: “Biochar, it’s kind of chemically locked in — it’d be very difficult to reverse that,” said James Gerber, a data scientist at Project Drawdown

📈 One stat: The biochar market was valued at $600 million in 2023, with projections to exceed $3 billion by 2025

Click for more news covering the latest on carbon capture & storage

Did you enjoy this illuminem voice? Support us by sharing this article!
author photo

About the author

illuminem's editorial team - providing you with concise summaries of the most important sustainability news of the day.

Follow us on Linkedin, Twitter​ & Instagram

Other illuminem Voices


Related Posts


You cannot miss it!

Weekly. Free. Your Top 10 Sustainability & Energy Posts.

You can unsubscribe at any time (read our privacy policy)