Biochar on acidic agricultural lands in South-East Asia: Sequestering carbon and improving crop yield

Biochar is charcoal from pyrolysis of organic waste. When mixed into soil, biochar is stable, and thus its carbon is removed from the carbon cycle. This mitigates climate change. Due to its alkaline reaction, biochar also increases soil quality by reducin g soil acidity. In South-East Asia, with its extensive areas of acidic soils, this is very relevant. We aim at investigating the potential of biochar from organic waste to sequester carbon and improve soil quality and thus livelihoods. The research progra m involves social and agricultural/environmental components. Social-economic components include biochar generation concepts, energy concepts and a life cycle assessment comparing use of biochar to conventional energy production and fertilizer use, specifi c for tropical/Asian conditions. Life cycle cost assessment will address investments, income, revenues, cost-benefit analyses and business plans. The agricultural/environmental part consists of initial chemical screening of soil-biochar combinations, foll owed by extensive pot and field trials as well as mechanistic lab studies. Social, environmental and agricultural scientists from universities and research institutes in Norway, Indonesia and Malaysia will collaborate. UNDP Indonesia will lead knowledge transfer, disseminating project findings to local institutes, extension services and farmers. Three PhDs are envisioned in Norway + Indonesia. Mutual research visits and workshops will ascertain knowledge transfer. The research addresses the call on clim ate, environment and energy: climate change is mitigated through carbon sequestration as biochar, soil acidity in Asia is a long-term environmental problem, concepts are developed for using pyrolysis energy, social science is used to assess impacts, and e nvironmental economics will be used to evaluate energy outputs, cost-benefit and business concepts for farmers and land owners. The Indonesian Embassy in Norway supports the proposal (support letter attached).