Each year, crop wastes (biomass) worth $120 billion are burned in the open air worldwide. Many farmers burn their crop residues to dispose of them. These residues can be bulky, damp, sloppy, and too costly to collect and ship to a hub for processing into valuable commodities.
Consequently, burning farm waste outdoors adversely impacts our ecosystem. It also reduces soil fertility by 25 to 30%.
Takachar has invented an innovative way to convert agricultural and forest residues into high-value bioproducts. The entire idea is built around the use of sophisticated equipment to benefit rural communities and preserve nature.
Here is an in-depth review of how Takachar’s technology is reducing up to 18% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Read on!
Technology Overview: Portable, On-Site Conversion
Takachar offers a compact, reasonably priced machine that produces useful bio-products on the farm from crop waste. The portable machine is attached to a standard tractor to convert agricultural waste into biochar via a controlled thermochemical process.
Biochar can then be sold as activated carbon, biofuel, or fertilizer. This procedure eliminates the need for incineration and drastically reduces harmful pollutants such as CO₂ and NOx.
The method can reduce processing costs by up to 75% and is auto-thermal, meaning it doesn’t require external fuel or heat. In contrast to other methods, Takachar’s machinery is portable, smokeless, and can be transported directly to the required forest and agricultural wastelands by pulling it behind tractors or even ox carts.
This makes it scalable for rural and off-grid settings. Additionally, it can process various kinds of agricultural waste within 30 minutes without requiring any major adjustments.
Environmental Impact of Takachar
Open-field biomass burning causes large-scale air pollution in countries like India and parts of Africa. The smoke from these fires contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5) linked to respiratory diseases.
Takachar’s biochar technology replaces waste burning to reduce health risks. It reduces black carbon emissions to improve air quality and slow global warming.
This rural innovation in India sequesters carbon in soil by capturing it in the biochar. Hence, it improves soil fertility and acts as a carbon sink to mitigate greenhouse gas concentrations.
Economic Benefits: Turning Agro-Waste into Wealth
Often, farmers are in a situation where discarding crop residues is either a financial burden or imposes environmental risks on them. But Takachar’s technology is changing that story.
Biofuels and fertilizers can either be marketed locally or easily integrated into existing supply chains. Results? New income streams for smallholders.
In fact, according to the World Food Program (WFP) Innovation initiative, smallholder farmers’ net incomes can rise by as much as 30% as a result of the technology. Additionally, farms that use fertilizers made by Takachar machines will raise their output by 30%.
Scalability and Accessibility: Reaching the Rural Heartland
Takachar’s technology is designed to be affordable and easy to use for a variety of settings, like-
- Peri-urban vegetable markets
- Forest communities in Africa
- Smallholder farms in India
- On-farmfor on-the-spot processing
- Forestry on the West Coast for wildfire prevention
Additionally, its emphasis on decentralization assures that marginalized farmers can easily access sustainable agricultural waste management systems. Local business owners can easily adopt and operate these systems independently due to their simple operating system.
Recognition and Global Acknowledgement
Takachar’s clean technology for farmers has garnered immense praise in the international sustainability community. The most acclaimed recognitions are:
The Earthshot Prize (2021)
Takachar’s high-end technology is equipped to lower carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by gigatons annually. In appreciation, Takachar was awarded the first-ever Earthshot Prize in the clean air category in 2021. The Royal Foundation of Prince William and Princess Kate sponsored the £1 million prize.
United Nations Environment Program’s “Young Champions of the Earth” (2020)
In 2020, Takachar received the UN Young Champions of the Earth prize for creating portable, reasonably priced biomass-upgrading equipment that converts crop waste into fertilizers and activated carbon. It thereby offers farmers the opportunity to earn additional income and avoid open burning.
A Future of Sustainable Impact
Takachar has processed 9,000 metric tons of crops to date, collaborating with over 5,500 farmers. The impacts of Takachar’s sustainable agriculture paradigm could be revolutionary if it is implemented globally. Picture millions of small-scale biomass conversion facilities working together to cut emissions and provide revenue for rural communities.
This decentralized strategy can easily fit into carbon offset solutions and enable farmers to profit from their climate-friendly practices & generate carbon credits.
After all, empowering those closest to nature’s most bountiful resources is the first step towards protecting the earth.
