GENEVA — December 9, 2025 — The Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), in collaboration with climate technology startup Planboo, has announced an innovative project to implement and promote the production of biochar on cotton farms in India. This biochar project in India aims to enhance environmental sustainability while measuring and monetizing the improvements achieved.
Beginning in February 2026, this initiative will involve at least 75 farmers converting agricultural waste from the cotton harvest in January into biochar—a charcoal-like substance known for its ability to improve soil health and sequester carbon for over a century.
Lars van Doremalen, Director of Impact at BCI, stated: “Since announcing our partnership with Planboo in September, we have been working to identify the locations and partners required to test this promising solution. Biochar holds the potential to unlock huge greenhouse gas emission reductions and carbon removals while fortifying farming communities against the effects of climate change.”
In the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra, three kilns will be set up, designed to process approximately 375 tonnes of agricultural waste and yield between 60 and 70 tonnes of biochar. Farmers will receive training in February 2026 on effectively using these kilns, providing them with a sustainable alternative to the harmful practice of burning crop residue.
Throughout the duration of the project, Planboo’s digital Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRVin) system will meticulously collect data, capturing everything from biochar production to the calculation of carbon removals.
This comprehensive software accurately calculates the inputs, the volume of biochar produced, and the resulting carbon removals, facilitating access to carbon data. By quantifying these reductions, the project will create new revenue opportunities for farming communities.
Freddie Catlow, Founder of Planboo, remarked: “Cotton farmers are sitting on an unrealized asset, their crop residues, currently going up in smoke. With Planboo’s MRVin technology, farmers can learn, burn, and earn by turning their waste into biochar. This durable, accredited form of carbon removal builds resilience into soils, supporting farmers, the foundation of the cotton textile industry.”
Concluding in 2026, BCI will share the insights and outcomes from this biochar project in India with its members. The project will evaluate how biochar impacts essential agricultural indicators, such as crop yield and water retention, as well as metrics related to reduced emissions and carbon sequestered.
In the long term, both BCI and Planboo will explore the scalability of this approach, demonstrating its value through environmental and economic enhancements at the field level, contributing to Scope 3 emissions reduction and carbon credit generation.
