TEXTILES.ORG
Better Cotton, global cotton sustainability initiative, has teamed up with climate technology startup Planboo to help cotton farmers reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and earn carbon credits for it. The partnership will involve biochar, a charcoal-like substance made from agricultural waste and other waste products that, when applied to soils, can improve their health, while helping them store carbon for more than a century.
Biochar is known to improve the structure of soil and enhance its ability to retain water and nutrients, while limiting chemical fertilizer use. In collaboration with Planboo, Better Cotton will support licensed farmers to produce this topical solution from farm waste and later apply it on the ground, providing environmental benefits in both phases.
Lars van Doremalen, director of impact at Better Cotton, says, “Planboo has championed biochar for over half a decade. … This age-old practice creates value from waste and boosts the climate resilience of land. Add to that, the scope for farmers to be financially rewarded for their sustainability efforts, and this is an incredibly exciting proposition.”
Better Cotton will leverage Planboo’s digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRVin) system throughout this work, capturing data points from the production of biochar to the calculation of carbon reductions and removals.
This end-to-end software synchronizes data to accurately calculate waste inputs, biochar volumes, carbon removals, and subsequent carbon allocation. As such, it unlocks new income streams for communities committed to reducing carbon emissions and improving their soil health.
Better Cotton is a global not-for-profit organization supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. Planboo is a climate tech company based in Stockholm.