Project: Biochar Integration in Small-Holder Cropping Systems –Economy, Food Product Value Chains, Climate Change Resilience and Soil Fertility

Acronym	BICEPS (Reference Number: FOSC-215)
Duration	01/06/2021 - 31/05/2024
Project Topic	Biochar integration in small-holder agriculture is an example of a transformative adaptation of the food production system to achieve climate mitigation, climate resilience and sustainable intensification. The use of biochar can contribute to Agenda2030, especially SDG1: No Poverty, SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG13: Climate Action. This project aim to quantify the contribution of biochar to climate resilience, improved food security and profitability in different small-holder agriculture contexts in sub Saharan Africa. We will do that by studying four different aspects of the biochar integration.The potential for biochar to contribute to climate change mitigation will be studied using a life-cycle analysis approach. It is important to use a system perspective to assess both direct climate mitigation but also trade-offs. We will also evalauate the cost-benefit of biochar integration and the impacts of produce quantity and quality on food value chains. Wide adoption of biochar will be dependent on profitability at farm level. Interaction between biochar and the N cycle will be studied to evaluate N use efficiency and sustainability in the cropping system and the the importance of biochar-soil-water-crop interaction for improved climate (drought) resilience. We will use a wide range of state-of-the-art methodology from our respective disciplines. The consortium consist of a trans-disciplinary team of researchers from Sweden, Norway, Kenya and South Africa with a broad competence in system analysis, agronomy, soil science, agricultural economy, food technology and microbiology. We will interact with local farming communities in Kenya and South Africa and test biochar integration in on-farm trials but also utilize data from our on-going research in other countries. Our results can be utilized to guide policy development on how biochar can be integrated in small-holder farming systems and how bottlenecks that prevents the integration can be identified and addressed.
Network	FOSC
Call	1st FOSC Joint Cofund Call

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
1	Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences	Coordinator	Sweden
2	Norwegian Geotechnical Institute	Partner	Norway
3	University of KwaZulu-Natal	Partner	South Africa
4	Norwegian University of Life Sciences	Partner	Norway
5	University of Nairobi	Partner	Kenya