Voices from our farmers
Join 10,000 happy farmers worldwide who are reaping crop and income benefits.
Our services
We mobilize a huge previously untapped human resource, the smallholder farmers of the developing world, to convert currently burned crop waste, a huge, previously ignored source of greenhouse gases, into carbon sequestering biochar. We work with smallholder farmer networks to obtain EBC certification and generate C-sink certificates that are available for purchase from us or our trading partners.
CO2 removal
We provide buyers of carbon offsets with certified CO2 removal (C-sink) certificates. All of our certificates are backed by detailed farmer biochar activities and meets the EBC Standard for smallholder farmers.
Biochar training
We can help your organisation or team train smallholder farmers on making and applying biochar using a variety of equipment.
C-sink advisory
Our team can help advise your organisation and farmers regarding the EBC Standard for smallholder farmers and prepare for the audit to become a certified to produce and sale biochar-based C-sink certificates.
Special projects
We support and are always on the look out for new and unique projects that collaborate and support smallholder farmers and their respective communities.
10 years; 10,000 farmers
Biochar Life and Warm Heart Worldwide have been teaching farmers how to make biochar for over 10 years. Our trainings and projects have been funded by: the American, Canadian and Swiss governments as well as thousands of individual donors from around the world. Accredited by the Ithaka Institute.
Over 10,000 farmers trained
Accredited by Ithaka Institute
International Biochar Initiative Trainings
Grants from US, Canada, Switzerland and others
Our Partners
Our partners are leaders in the industry and align to our social mission of supporting smallholder farmers throughout the world!
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? We've got answers. If you have some other questions, please contact us.
Our Solutions Overview document located within our Portal (free to access) includes details pertaining to our methods and procedures. It also includes further insight into the approved equipment, biomass and other criteria associated to the EBC standard.
The feedstock used to make the biochar includes agricultural waste after a farmer’s harvest. Currently, we use corn cob, corn stalks and tree branches which would typically be burnt in the open field. Without the financial incentive to make and use biochar, we believe farmers would continue to conduct open field burning.
By rule, only biochar that is buried, used as a soil amendment or in animal feed qualifies for payment. Farmers must show the final use of any char for which they wish to be compensated on the blockchain using photos, videos, and/or receipts. Our team and/or 3rd party verifiers make unannounced, random checks to ensure that the biochar actually sequesters CO2 for the long-term.
We use the European Biochar Certification standard developed by Ithaka Institute adapted for smallholder farmers. The EBC standard dictates emission considerations by biochar feedstock and other requirements to determine the amount of carbon sinked. The Carbon-sink value that Biochar Life records in its certificates includes the anticipated biological degradation carbon in the biochar over 100 years (C-sink100). Our calculations include emission expenditures from the pyrolysis and processing of the biochar, transportation, or post-production expenditures. Our calculation considers CH4 emission compensation benefits from the prevention of open field burning, which emits large amounts of CH4 (methane) into the atmosphere or planting of trees to compensate for the CH4 emissions generated from low-tech pyrolysis equipment. We include an emissions security margin for emissions. We calculate “additionality” based on the elimination of open field burning for the biomass that is made into biochar. Over time, we will continue to update our solution and calculations to ensure the most accurate C-sink impact.
The majority of the proceeds goes into the hands of smallholder farmers and employees who are hired from the local community. On average, 75% is distributed to the farmers and local community. 15% is used for administration and support. The remaining 10% is used for future project development or to support our children’s homes.
Yes. Warm Heart instituted fair and equal hiring practices from the moment we started 13 years ago. The Biochar Projects with Warm Heart and Biochar Life have gender and income equality as primary social aims through job creation for the poor and the creation of new income streams in rural communities.
Biochar Life is a Public Benefit Corporation registered in the State of Delaware, an impact venture of Warm Heart Worldwide (“Warm Heart''). Warm Heart is a registered 501 c. 3 tax exempt nonprofit in the United States and has partner charities registered in Thailand and Africa. As a Public Benefit Corporation, Biochar Life is required to report its results relative to its stated mission (taken from Warm Heart). Biochar Life is owned and controlled by Warm Heart to ensure the ongoing support for Warm Heart’s mission to support smallholder farmers and communities.