Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

We turn pecan shells into biochar and in the process remove carbon from the atmosphere. We sell the biochar to local farmers, where, due to its high porosity, holds water and nutrients in soil for longer. This results in increased fertility and crop resiliency, particularly effective in dry regions such as Parras, where we are located. 
In addition, because we transformed the carbon in pecan nutshells, doomed to return to the air via burning or decomposition, into a highly stable solid form of carbon, unable to rot or burn when buried, we effectively remove carbon. We certify this removal with Puro.earth, and with this income we can keep financing expansion and subsidize biochar prices so farmers and their soil keep reaping benefits.
We started in 2014 as a hobby, but since carbon removal became a viable option, we have been doing this full time since 2021.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Turns a temporary carbon sink, pecan nutshells, that would shortly return to the atmosphere, into a more permanent carbon sink (more than 100 years) by turning it into biochar. This amounts to an atmospheric CO2 removal when considering a cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Analysis.

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Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Because we were the first commercial scale biochar and/or carbon removal facility in Mexico, we are able to kickstart the industry in a very underrepresented region within the larger carbon removal community. Also, our location in drought-stricken northeastern Mexico is particularly benefited from biochar, as it has a tremendous water holding capacity and improves local farmers crop's resiliency.

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Mission Statement:

Our headquarters are in Monterrey, Mexico, but our biochar production unit is in Parras, Mexico. We decided to locate it there in order to be closer to our pecan nutshell supplier, Star del Norte.

Link: Instagram:

@tierra_prieta

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