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View all search resultsHashim bets on $9b biochar potential amid literacy, logistics hurdles
The initiative aims to monetize around 100 million tonnes agricultural waste a year, which come from the palm oil and sugar industries, among others.
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Biochar, a material produced by heating organic biomass in an environment with limited or no oxygen, a process also known as pyrolysis is pictured in this file photo.
(The Agriculture Ministry/-)
A
group led by Hashim Djojohadikusumo, the brother of President Prabowo Subianto, is spearheading efforts to promote the use of biochar, a charcoal-like substance hailed for its ability to boost soil health by locking in nutrients, water and beneficial microbes.
The initiative aims to turn Indonesia’s abundant agricultural and forestry waste into profit while offering a solution for sustainable farming. Biochar is produced through pyrolysis, a process that heats organic biomass in a low-oxygen environment, capturing carbon and storing it in a stable form.
While the potential is promising, experts warn that logistical hurdles and a lack of farmer awareness could hamper widespread adoption unless tackled head-on.
On July 7, an organization named the Indonesian International Biochar Association (ABII) was established to facilitate cooperative efforts and the strategic development of biochar in the country.
“This launch marks the beginning of a long journey to bring biochar from the laboratory and agricultural lands to public policy, the carbon market and the global climate change solution,” said ABII chairman Hashim, as quoted in a press release during the association’s launch.
Hashim, who is also a close aide to President Prabowo, highlighted Indonesia’s potential to position itself as a “superpower country” in biochar production and technological development, by leveraging its abundant biomass resources.
“There are not many countries like ours. Perhaps only Indonesia, the Republic of Congo, Brazil and Venezuela, tropical countries with an extraordinary amount of biomass, where the resources come not only from agriculture, but also from forestry,” he said.
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