NUEVA ECIJA: A groundbreaking partnership between a Singaporean-based renewable energy company and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been forged.
The collaboration aims to undertake research to understand and quantify medium- to long-term effects of biochar on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in rice systems.
In a bid to transform the rural landscape toward sustainability and low carbon footprint, Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali has tapped Alcom Carbon Markets Philippines, a subsidiary of Alcom Pte Ltd., to initiate Project NuevaChar.
The project will focus on biochar production using rice husks, or "ipa," which are often disposed of through harmful burning practices or left to decompose, contributing to environmental degradation.
Biochar, a solid material derived from biomass conversion in oxygen-limited conditions, is recognized as an environmentally friendly soil amendment.
"During the burning process, we can expect that elemental components of the rice husks are converted into gases that enter the atmosphere," said Claro Torres, chief agriculturist of Alcom Carbon Markets Philippines.
"With complete burning, you release carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to heating of the atmosphere leading to climate change."
In a recent development, Umali led the 27 municipalities and five cities of Nueva Ecija as pilot areas for biochar application, with farmers observing significant improvements in crop yield and soil health.
Alcom Carbon Markets Philippines advocates for the utilization of biochar not only in rice cultivation but also in high-value crops such as onions, sugarcane and calamansi (Philippine lime). Biochar has demonstrated effectiveness in mitigating heavy metal toxicity, enhancing water retention, and improving soil permeability and aeration.
Registered with Puro.earth — the world's leading crediting platform for engineered carbon removal — the biochar processing plant, situated in Barangay Singalat, Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, stands as a testament to the commitment to sustainable agricultural practices. This is a first in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.
Rodeo Nuñez Jr., managing director of Alcom Carbon Markets Philippines, emphasized the partnership's focus on the study and research of biochar as an amendment improving rice production for soil health and outcomes toward low carbon systems.
Nuñez added that the whole world will gain valuable insights from different research projects of IRRI in the use of biochar for sustainable agricultural systems.
Alcom Carbon Markets Philippines has solidified its collaboration with IRRI through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Feb. 27, 2024.
This partnership, facilitated by Prateek Tiwari, Alcom's founder and president, and Bas Bouman, IRRI's research director on sustainable impact, underscores a shared commitment to Sustainable Agricultural Innovation and Community Engagement (Saice).
Ando Radanielson, senior scientist at IRRI, highlighted the significance of the MoU that aligns with Alcom's business model of developing more biochar production plants in the Philippines.
Virender Kuman, Saice deputy head, also cited the public-private partnership in addressing climate change issues and improving the lives of the Filipino farmer.
Tiwari, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to Umali for the joint venture partnership that paved the way for the biochar production facility in Nueva Ecija, which allowed the collaboration with IRRI.
"Project NuevaChar has a mission of protecting the environment from global warming and climate change," Nuñez said.
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