By Kimuri Mwangi
Solidaridad, Kvuno, Planboo, and the Cotton Development Trust have announced a strategic partnership to drive sustainable agriculture in Zambia using biochar technology. This collaboration seeks to transform agricultural practices by equipping smallholder farmers with skills for biochar production, which will improve soil fertility, contribute to improving crop yields, and climate resilience.
The biochar project addresses pressing challenges in agriculture and the environment by converting agricultural waste into biochar, a valuable soil amendment that captures carbon, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances soil quality such as improving water holding capacity, nutrient retention and microbial activity. This initiative not only promotes sustainable farming but also provides smallholder farmers with the opportunity to benefit from climate change mitigation incentives through carbon credits.
“Biochar represents an important step toward sustainable agriculture in Zambia, and we’re thrilled to partner with Planboo to empower farmers with this sustainable practice,” said Shungu Kanyemba, Managing Director of Solidaridad Southern Africa. “Our shared goal is to create a lasting impact on agriculture and climate change, but time is of the essence. We must act now to implement sustainable solutions that will benefit communities and the environment alike.”
This biochar initiative is part of the Solidaridad Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) programme under its Resilient Production Systems pathway, which integrates a range of sustainable agricultural practices to support smallholder farmers. Alongside biochar, the programme promotes intercropping, crop diversification, mulching, conservation farming, and water-use efficiency technologies.
These practices collectively aim to improve soil health, enhance climate resilience, and boost productivity. While biochar is a transformative tool, it is one of many practices contributing to the holistic approach Solidaridad employs to achieve sustainable agriculture and resilient livelihoods for farmers across southern Africa.
Kvuno, a social enterprise focused on empowering smallholder farmers, plays a crucial role in this partnership by connecting local farmers with sustainable agricultural technologies and market opportunities. Through this initiative, Kvuno will help ensure that biochar technology reaches the communities that need it most, facilitating training and support for farmers to adopt climate-resilient practices.
“Kvuno is committed to equipping farmers with tools that transform their livelihoods,” said Lydia Banda, Regional Operations Lead at Kvuno. “This partnership with Solidaridad and Planboo will enable farmers to improve soil health and increase yields while benefiting from climate change mitigation incentives through carbon credits. It’s a win for both the environment and the community.
“With Planboo’s technical expertise and scalable biochar production technology, the project will make the benefits of biochar accessible to local communities, enabling them to improve their farming practices and resilience to climate change. The partnership between Solidaridad and Planboo promotes a circular economy by turning agricultural residues into a valuable resource for enriching soils and sequestering carbon.
“Biochar is more than just a soil enhancer; it’s a tool for climate action,” noted Eilidh Dempsey, Supply Coordinator of Planboo. “By adopting biochar technology, Zambian farmers can increase their crop yields, remove thousands of tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and generate vital carbon finance in the region. Planboo’s technology goes beyond improving agricultural practices—it actively addresses the urgent need for carbon sequestration and climate resilience in vulnerable communities. We’re committed to making biochar production accessible, scalable, and impactful. We are striving to move beyond biochar by collaborating with Zambian farmers to sustainably improve soils and livelihoods”.
Given the environmental challenges facing Zambia, the project comes at a critical time when urgent action is needed. Solidaridad, Planboo and the Cotton Development Trust call on stakeholders, policymakers, and investors to support sustainable practices such as biochar application and advocate for increased investment in building the adaptive capacity and resilience of smallholder farmers to drive meaningful change.
Sheila Garakara, Solidaridad Country Manager for Zambia, highlighted the regional implications of the project: “The success of biochar in Zambia could serve as a model for sustainable agriculture across southern Africa. We need to rally support and scale such technologies to help farmers adapt to changing climates, improve their livelihoods, and make a real difference in carbon reduction.”
