Biochar: Restoring Haiti’s Damaged Soil

Biochar: Restoring Haiti’s Damaged Soil

The Situation

Haiti’s soil is tired. This we know. Decades of indiscriminate deforestation have slowly exhausted this land once known for her rich agriculture. Once the “Pearl of the Caribbean,” there was a time when Haiti produced 60% of the world’s coffee and 40% of the world’s sugar. More recently, well-intended slashing of food import tariffs has had a catastrophic effect on Haiti’s farmers, unable to compete with cheap imports when selling their crops at market. As a consequence to these human factors, Haiti’s precious soil today is parched and thin, unable to produce the abundant harvests of more glorious days. In a country of 10 million people where over 60% live in rural areas, people depend on their farms and gardens to live. Today, less than 20% of Haiti’s cultivated land is actually suitable for agriculture. It is no wonder that Haiti is one of the most food insecure nations in the world and that 45% of Haiti’s people are chronically malnourished.

Solutions to Haiti’s severe agriculture problems will come in many forms and from many directions. While government and economic solutions work themselves out, Starfysh’s role in agricultural development will be to get our hands dirty. Literally. We will work the soil.

Biochar

As it turns out, agricultural science research has in recent years made significant strides in technologies and practices of soil improvement and restoration. One such advance is in our understanding of the value that “fixed carbon” can play as a permanent remediation to damaged soils. One of the most exciting areas of agricultural research in recent years has centered around the merits of biochar as a permanent amendment to distressed soil. It is exciting to Starfysh because poor, unproductive soil is La Gonave’s reality (as it is in the rest of Haiti). The studies on biochar show convincing evidence that it…

• Improves soil as a habitat for beneficial microorganisms
• Improves soil’s ability to hold minerals essential for vigorous plant growth
• Improves crop yields
• Improves water retention
• Improved soil texture
• Improves pest resistance

Remarkable as these benefits are, it is even more noteworthy that the improvements that biochar confers on soil infertility is permanent. Evidence proves that once worked into the soil, biochar and its benefits will remain for hundreds of years. The value of biochar as a permanent amendment to bad soil and its dramatically positive effect on harvest yields is well-published in the agricultural scientific literature. Knowing that our results (i.e., dramatic increase in yields) will mirror published studies, we expect the greater benefit will be realized when farmers here see for themselves the impact of biochar on their gardens and fields and then embrace a plan to produce biochar locally.

Project Objective

During the 2018 growing season, fixed carbon in the form of high grade biochar will be demonstrated at both of Starfysh’s “Jaden Lavi” (Life Garden) agriculture research and demonstration campuses (sea level, mountain), two to four school gardens, and 12-15 selected family gardens across the island. At each site, crops grown in biochar-fortified soil will be grown along side control plots of the same crops grown in un-fortified soil. Test and control gardens will be otherwise identical (e.g. sun, water, etc.). Data will be measured by plant vigor and yield.

Starting prior to and then continuing throughout the demonstration phase, feasibility studies will look at the critical elements necessary to produce biochar right here on the island: tree species, power considerations, transportation issues, and economic impact.

Impact

Bold claims must be backed by bold initiatives. We believe fixed-carbon in the form of biochar could be one of the game-changing solutions to Haiti’s agricultural problem. The island of La Gonave will be the perfect laboratory to test this claim and eventually could even be the source of high-quality soil-saving biochar for all of Haiti.

Needs

We are looking for financial partners who will help us prove that Haiti’s tired, nutrient-depleted soil can be permanently restored. $35,000 will fund this critical phase: purchase, shipping, customs, and local delivery of project supplies, and tree seedling propagation. Tools and supplies available in Haiti will be preferentially purchased in country, in accordance with Starfysh’s “buy local” philosophy of development.

Starfysh is extremely thankful for the time and expertise that our friends at American Biochar Company have brought to the table. Their partnership makes this game-changing initiative a reality.

To learn more about how you or your organization can partner with us in this important project, email us at info@starfysh.org.