Mati Carbon Removals Fights Climate Change, Enables Climate Resilience for Marginal Farmers in India
Shantanu Agarwal is a climate tech entrepreneur on a mission to improve the lives of marginal farmers while simultaneously fighting climate change. In 2021, he founded Mati Carbon Removals, a project of the Swaniti Initiative, a 501(c)(3) non-profit with offices in the US and India.
Shantanu Agarwal (far right) with colleagues and helpers collecting samples in the field. Photo courtesy of Mati.
In a July 2023 episode of the OpenAir webinar series, “This is CDR,” Agarwal had this to say about his new project:
“The mission at Mati is essentially ...
A Glimpse into the Future: The Potential for Rock Dust in Urban Agriculture
Scientists have recently begun to tap into the potential of urban agriculture with the use of rock dust, as well as other essential components, to make a recipe for fertile, sustainable soil.
InPlanet Takes On Climate Change and Advances Sustainable Farming with Local Soil Remineralizers
Is it possible to fight climate change while simultaneously supporting regenerative farming practices? The company InPlanet is showing that the answer is yes.
Huplaso Grows: Natural Mineralizer from New Brunswick Quarry Making Inroads Across Canada, World
(Updated May 7, 2023)
Jean-Paul Dubé
The Huplaso quarry in Bathurst, New Brunswick, contains a rock that is rich in more than 57 minerals (macro, micro and trace elements) and is ideal for soil remineralization and organic plant growth.
“It increases about 27% the health of the plant,” said Stéphane Losier, business development director. He added that the product, made from ultramafic basalt-type volcanic rock dust, improves yields by more than 35%, balances pH and increases soil paramagnetism levels.
According to Jean-Paul Dubé, Huplaso’s North ...
AG-USA: The Power of Sea Minerals and Microbes to Restore Soils
Paul Schneider Jr. showing a thick layer of topsoil and healthy grass developed over Georgia Red Clay (Ultisol) after treatment with MycorrPlus.
“Healthy soil is soil that is alive. For farms and gardens, healthy soil is the key to almost everything, including greater availability of nutrients (less fertilizer), drought tolerance, weed control, nutrient dense plants and healthy livestock. For better yields and increased production, great soil is the answer.”
Paul Schneider Jr. on the AG-USA website
Paul Schneider Jr.
In the late 1960s, animal nutriti...
Remineralization Pioneer David Yarrow on Transforming Soils to Transform Ourselves
There’s no doubt that the industrialization of agriculture has changed the world we live in. With the advent of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, ‘agribusiness’ is a commercial enterprise seeking to do what most businesses do — maximize profit. But soil isn’t a static input, a sterile medium, or an endless reservoir from which crops will always sprout. In fact, treating soil in this way is a fast-track to depleting it. Continuing down this path is not sustainable, and it’s becoming clearer that we must rethink the way this system works, and move ...
Engineers Without Borders is Addressing Food Security in Tanzania
David Paul and Pupils of Chagu Primary School fetching water from the lake with crocodiles.
Click to enlarge photos and graphics.
David Paul (standing, left) uses a groundwater detection electrode system to survey water resources Kilimanjaro region. This work is part of a project to supply clean, safe drinking water to the Maasai Community of this area.
David Paul Blessing, current president of Engineers Without Borders-Tanzania (EWB-Tanzania), sat in his hotel room in Nguruka township after a long day of work. He and his team were on-site ...
UNDO Matters: UK carbon removal company taking remineralization mainstream
The story of UNDO Carbon Removal began as the story of the Future Forest Company, says Jim Mann, cofounder and chief executive officer of both, with the former using enhanced weathering and the latter taking the reforestation route to ecological restoration in the United Kingdom. And so, UNDO spun out from Future Forest in mid-2022.
Jim Mann, cofounder and CEO of UNDO
“We were trying to move quickly with in-house rock weathering, trying to scale fast. Reforestation and ecological restoration are relatively slow processes. You might spend a year planning and then ...
Teaching Bold New Methods: Arina Duvenhage and the Garden of Eden Garden School
Mineral malnutrition is a serious global issue affecting hundreds of millions of people. It is estimated that worldwide, 60% of people are deficient in iron, 30% are deficient in zinc, and approximately 15% are deficient in selenium. Calcium, magnesium, and copper deficiencies are also common in both developed and developing nations. These nutritional deficits result in widespread healthcare problems and diminish the quality of life and community resilience.
Arina teaching at the Garden of Eden Garden School
How do we fight global mineral malnutrition? The answer is ...
Rockmin Composts Provides Local Solutions to the Global Soil Crisis
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations:
Soils are fundamental to life on Earth but human pressures on soil resources are reaching critical limits. Careful soil management is one essential element of sustainable agriculture and also provides a valuable lever for climate regulation and a pathway for safeguarding ecosystem services and biodiversity
Chris Cameron and his daughter Catriona Dale
In other words, soil degradation is one of humanity's greatest threats. Fortunately, there are experts like the father-daughter team ...