Biochar — Carbon from Crop Waste
Transforming cotton crop residue into biochar — improving soil fertility, sequestering carbon and creating a new income stream for smallholder farmers.
Turning Waste into Soil Gold
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating biomass — in our case, cotton stalks and crop residue — in a low-oxygen environment (pyrolysis). The result is a stable, highly porous charcoal-like material that, when incorporated into soil, delivers multiple benefits over decades.
Unlike raw organic matter that decomposes and releases carbon back into the atmosphere, biochar locks carbon into a form that remains stable in soil for hundreds to thousands of years — making it one of the most permanent and scalable carbon removal approaches available to agriculture.
- Permanent carbon sequestration for 500–1,000 years
- Improved water-holding capacity in sandy/degraded soils
- Enhanced soil microbial diversity and activity
- Reduced fertiliser requirement by up to 15%
- New income stream from carbon credits for farmers
How Our Biochar Programme Works
Pyrolysis Kilns
Low-cost, locally fabricated kilns that convert cotton stalks into biochar using the heat from the pyrolysis process itself — net energy positive.
Soil Application
Biochar is mixed with compost and applied at 1–2 tonnes per hectare, improving soil structure, water retention and nutrient cycling.
Carbon Credits
CGF-verified biochar production generates carbon removal credits sold to voluntary carbon markets, sharing proceeds with producing farmers.
Impact Monitoring
Soil carbon sampling, kiln production records and field monitoring data track biochar outcomes at farm level each season.
Farmer Training
Dedicated biochar training module covering safe kiln operation, application rates, composting and carbon credit eligibility.
Carbon Markets
CGF biochar programme registered under Verra VCS methodology for voluntary carbon market compliance and corporate offsetting.
Fund the Biochar Programme
Support biochar scale-up through CSR investment and earn verified carbon removal credits.