Prey Veng Cambodia. Foto: Yeeyuen Kwong
Beneficiados
Investment: 40,000€ / Donation: 10,000€
Husk Ventures is a social enterprise with a mission to improve smallholders’ livelihoods by converting low value rice husk into high value biochar to improve soil fertility and farmers’ yields.
OVF has contributed to the pilot of this project with an investment of €40,000 for the purchase of a pyrolysis machine needed to produce the biochar and a donation of €10,000 to support its founders, being Husk Ventures the first social enterprise that is supported following the philosophy of the hybrid model,
The challenge
Currently, most rice husk is burnt (for disposal or for fuel) or left to decompose, releasing greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, farmers lose ownership of this resource, which is equivalent to 20% of their rice production.
The solution
Husk Ventures' solution returns rice husk to farmers in the form of biochar, which improves soil structure and its ability to absorb nutrients and retain water. It also stimulates the growth of microorganisms essential for plant growth, reducing the need for fertilizers.
Impact
The expected impact is the production of 40Tn of biochar, the improvement of farmers' agricultural incomes by +30% per year, the reduction of fertilizer use by 40%, in addition to validating the quality of biochar produced for exports in ASEAN and reducing 120Tn of CO2 emissions.