Radio Lifeline, a non-profit based in the US, has launched the Black Earth Project, a new initiative designed to help Kenyan farmers mitigate the growing impact of climate change.
For this project, Radio Lifeline has partnered with re:char, a leading developer of small-scale biochar technologies, based in Kenya.
Biochar is made through a process called pyrolysis, and it involves the burning of dried biomass in a low or zero oxygen environment. The process prevents combustion and the usual release of carbon dioxide, black carbon and other greenhouse gases associated with traditional charcoal production methods.
The two-year research project will evaluate the effectiveness of biochar when used as a soil amendment by smallholder pyrethrum and coffee farmers in Rwanda.
re:char CEO Jason Aramburu said that when used as a soil amendment, biochar can increase crop yields, reduce nutrient leaching, help retain moisture, reduce soil acidity and improve surrounding water quality while significantly reducing the need for additional irrigation and fertilizer inputs.
"Biochar has increasingly been cited as an effective approach to carbon sequestration as it can remain stable in the soil for thousands of years", added Aramburu.
The Black Earth Project will use of re:char's Climate Kiln, making possible a farm-centered approach to biochar production. It will use various forms of agricultural crop residues, including dried corn stalks, grasses, rice hulls and coffee pulp as well as cow manure and wood chips.
A series of test plots will be set up within Rwanda's coffee and pyrethrum farming sectors to measure the benefits of using biochar as a soil amendment as compared to traditional petrochemical-based fertilizers.
Farmers will be kept abreast of the project's progress via Radio Lifeline's weekly farmer-focused programs, broadcast through its network of community radio stations.
The Black Earth Project is scheduled to begin construction of test plots and initiate farmer training workshops on 3 March in Butare, Rwanda. A majority of the funding for this project is provided by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a coffee producer based in Vermont, US.
