Biochar Farming Carbon Craig Sams Founder and Executive Chairman - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Help Rescue The Planet RIBA May 7-11 Biochar – Farming Carbon Craig Sams Founder and Executive Chairman May 8 2012

Louisiana Territory - Virgin Prairie

DUST BOWL 1935 Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska

Eve Balfour Founded Soil Association 1946

Johannesburg April 2008 400 experts Report: Stop subsidies Put human health first Green Revolution had unintended consequences Genetic Engineering a problem, not a solution Little time left Protect our agricultural capital (soil) Support small farmers and diverse ecosystems Study and learn from traditional farming Reward farmers who prevent climate change

Carbon Farming Efficiency Energy needed to produce 1 calorie of food: Industrial Farmer: 12 calories fossil fuel Organic Farmer: 6 calories fossil fuel (Man with a hoe: 1 calorie of energy produces 20 calories of food)

Rodale Institute 30 year trial results 1. Organic uses 45% less energy 2. Average yields match conventional (soybeans/corn) 3. C sequestration 1 MT/ha (3.7 T CO2/ha) per annum

USA arable: 172 Million Ha Global arable: 1.4 Bn Ha US is 1/8 of Global farmland USA in Metric: Per Annum Conventional: .45 Gt Co2 emitted If Organic: .75 Gt CO2 sequestered If Worldwide Per Annum Conventional: 3.6 Gt Co2 emitted If Organic: 6Gt CO2 sequestered Source: Pimentel Cornell Good - but can we do better?

BIOCHAR

Biochar What is it? Charcoal made to be used as a soil improver ● What does it do? Reduces nutrient leaching and fertiliser use ● Helps soils retain moisture ● Increases microbiological populations - refugia ● Reduces plant disease ● Improves soil structure - glomalin ● Reduces soil N2O emissions by up to 80% ● Improves soil fertility ● Increases crop yields ● + Long term carbon sequestration

Making it Real and Creating Routes to Market Production Projects Products

Carbon Gold Biochar Kiln (Near Fairlight) 66% yield increase Up to 90% emissions reduction Farm-scale 10 sold overseas 5 sold in UK Order pipeline

Carbon Gold Biochar Kilns CG Tilting Ring Kiln 10m3 CG Tilting Ring Kiln Array ● Skid mounted and semi-automatic ● Permanent site ● Production capacity 1 tonne/day ● Production capacity of 3.5 tonnes/day Confidential and Proprietary Information of Carbon Gold Limited.

First UK Commercial production E.Sussex September 2010

Trials: Little Gem lettuces Trial by: Stephanie Donaldson – Gardening Editor Country Living 25 th August 2011 23 rd September 2011

Replacing Peat “Delfland Plants ran trials on Carbon Gold’s biochar-based seed compost on 5,000 plants – a mixture of brassicas, lettuce, rainbow chard and red mustard. The trials ran alongside a control batch of each of these plants using Klassman, our peat-based seed compost of choice. Carbon Gold’s seed compost produced the same excellent results as our normal seed compost choice and it performed as well in terms of germination and growth rate We would be happy to use biochar-based compost products for a specific range of vegetable plugs for growers, using Carbon Gold’s excellent product range” John Overoorde, CEO Delfland Plants

Growing Grass with biochar in Ontario Three year trial – 3.9 tonnes/ha single application on sown pasture in 2007: Greater year on year biomass growth ● Superior nutritional quality forage ● Increased milk production ● Reduced greenhouse gas emissions ●

GroChar + Cacao = fruit within 3 years Normal maturation time: 7 years Slash and burn farming replaced with Slash and char

Rolling it out: UNDP Supporting crop trials and biochar production with $50,000 grant, followed by $500,000 when trials complete

Strong Brand Values Corporate Brand: Commercial, track record, market leader, global Product Brand: Tested, trusted, competitive - Soil Association Certified for organic use - Peat-free - Organic ingredients or from FSC certified woodland

Branded Products Design and Packaging: Iconic, Challenger, Disruptive, Engaging On Sale in Garden Centres, Waitrose, Amazon and other Online suppliers

Replacing Peat

Biochar-to-CO2 Conversion Ratios Biochar : Carbon Dioxide 1 tonne : 2.35 tonnes Biochar : Carbon Dioxide 1 tonne : 3 tonnes Biochar : Carbon Dioxide 1 tonne : 6 tonnes

Australia – Carbon Tax and Carbon Farming Commencing: July 1 2012 Floor price for CO2: A$23 No tax on agricultural emissions but… Per tonne biochar/ha: $69 One off payment Microbiological bonus: $46 One off payment Annual N2O payment: $23 Recurring payment Plus: lower input and irrigation costs, increased yields

Lord Nicholas Stern “Delay now and haste later not only builds up damage but also risks expensive mistakes in investment decisions. The greater the coordinated involvement of all emitters the more successful, cheaper and equitable are actions and outcomes.”

Help Rescue The Planet RIBA May 7-11 Biochar – Farming Carbon Craig Sams Founder and Executive Chairman May 8 2012