Cotierra
ProdusentDown to Earth is collaborating with Cotierra on their effort to make carbon removal with biochar valuable for coffee producers in South America.
With their mobile biochar ovens, Cotierra provides coffee producers with an opportunity to turn coffee production waste into a valuable soil amendment, while also removing and storing carbon – offering farmers a much-needed additional source of income they didn't have before.
Cotierra's technology monitors the conversion from coffee chaff to biochar. They have full oversight of the raw materials input, and the quality and climate value of the biochar output. This oversight results in a climate credit from the CSI C-Sink registry.
An important part of their business is also monitoring the effects of using biochar in coffee production. Preliminary studies show a yield increase of about 10% and a 30% reduction in fertilizer requirements on the plantations where biochar is used.