Biochar is a substance that’s made by burning organic material from agricultural waste using a process called pyrolysis. The resulting biochar looks like charcoal but is a far more efficient way of converting carbon into a stable form — hence way fewer emissions. And there’s an added bonus: biochar is a super effective fertilizer that improves soil quality, much needed in regions that are worn out from overfarming or that have acidic soil.
Biosorra transforms crop waste into biochar in Kenya. The resulting biochar fertilizer is sold to farmers, enhancing soil health and productivity. The technology seems to have found its moment thanks to the carbon market, as Biosorra sells carbon credits from the sequestered carbon that is mixed into the soil.
Ines Serra Baucells is an engineer and architect by training with a deep passion for soil. She co-founded Biosorra in 2022 after seeing the big potential for biochar to remove CO2 at a relatively low investment cost. Before that, she worked as a strategy consultant at Deloitte and McKinsey, advising energy companies on sustainability. She got her MBA from IESE Business School and is a former professional ski competitor.