In a move to promote sustainable agriculture and waste utilization, Okere City, a member of the Circular Bionutrient Economy Network (CBEN), recently joined an Artisanal Study Tour conducted in Baringo and Uasin Gishu counties in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. Alongside soil scientists from Ethiopia and biochar experts, Okere City explored biochar production methods and gained practical insights into transforming agricultural waste into valuable resources. This journey holds the promise of unlocking Okere’s agricultural potential by converting waste from shea butter production into biochar—a step that could dramatically improve crop yields, soil health, and the economic stability of northern Uganda’s rural communities.
Why Biochar is Especially Relevant for Okere City
Okere City is situated in a semi-arid region with low soil moisture retention, a characteristic that poses ongoing challenges for local agriculture. Biochar’s porous structure helps soils retain moisture and nutrients longer, making it an ideal amendment for Okere’s dry soil conditions. Additionally, this organic material has been shown to improve water availability, a crucial factor for regions like Otuke district where unpredictable rainfall can affect crop production.
According to the FAO, current agricultural productivity in the area is a mere 25%, a rate that hinders food security and economic growth. By integrating biochar into the local soil, Okere City aims to boost this productivity rate significantly. When used as a soil amendment, biochar has been shown to increase crop yield, improve nutrient availability, and bolster plant resilience—all key factors that can help Okere City achieve its goal of supporting local farmers and improving household food security.
Benefits of Biochar for Okere City’s Agriculture
For Okere City, biochar production represents a transformative opportunity to turn shea butter processing waste into a powerful resource. Here’s how biochar can benefit Okere City and the broader agricultural landscape:
Enhanced Water Retention: Biochar’s high porosity helps the soil retain water, making it especially useful for the semi-arid lands of Okere where water scarcity is an ongoing challenge.
Improved Soil Structure: Biochar enhances soil aeration and supports healthy root growth, giving crops in arid regions a better chance to thrive.
Increased Soil Fertility and Nutrient Retention: Biochar slows nutrient leaching, allowing plants more access to the nutrients they need over time, which can be transformative for soil health.
Carbon Sequestration: Biochar acts as a carbon sink, storing carbon for centuries and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
Pest and Disease Resistance: Biochar can help suppress certain soil-borne diseases, reduce pest pressure, and increase crop resilience, an added benefit for agricultural areas with limited access to resources.
Insights from the Artisanal Study Tour
The tour began in Baringo County with an insightful presentation from PlantVillage on the C-Sink Manager role and the Global Artisanal Accreditation Process. This presentation offered Okere City a roadmap for setting up its biochar production and managing carbon credits, a valuable addition that could make Okere City eligible for carbon credit markets in the future. Training on biochar production methods and monitoring provided essential skills that will be applied directly to Okere City’s community-led farming initiatives.
At Uasin Gishu County, we observed how waste from maize, livestock, and agroforestry could be repurposed into biochar using the Kon-Tiki Tower Rig, a method that could be adapted for shea waste back home. We also learned how to integrate biochar into bio-fertilizers, creating a cost-effective and sustainable solution for local farmers. This will be easier to apply in Okere considering that many people also livestock farmers.
Market and Digital Insights from the Study Trip
The study tour emphasized effective marketing strategies for biochar-based fertilizers, which will be critical in ensuring access and affordability for smallholder farmers in northern Uganda. In fact, this could present a unique business opportunity for us to start producing a shea-based biochar fertilizer which can be sold to widen the scope of Okere City’s revenue streams, while at the same time improving agricultural productivity in the region.
Additionally, we also learnt more about biochar monitoring and tracking via the PlantVillage Biochar App which equipped us with digital tools and insights to monitor carbon credits and refine biochar production practices.
The Future of Biochar in Okere City
Armed with knowledge and expertise from the CBEN network and international biochar experts, Okere City is set to apply biochar production within its shea butter value chain. This will enable the transformation of shea nut shells and shea butter cake into biochar, which will then be distributed to local farmers to boost crop yields, improve soil health, and increase water retention. This initiative aligns with our mission of promoting food security and create economic resilience in Okere and beyond.
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