But biochar doesn’t always have to be produced in big factories. It can also be produced on a smaller scale using an equipment called a Kon-Tiki kiln. These kilns look kind of like a big frying pan or wok, but they are much larger and built for a special purpose. The process is simple and costs much less than the industrial scale equipment, so it’s a suitable and economical for farmers. They can feed crop waste into the kiln by hand, and the biochar is produced by heating the material without oxygen.

This method of making biochar is already recognized by carbon credit programs like the Carbon Standard International (CSI). That means farmers can also earn carbon credits by producing biochar, which gives them an extra monetary benefit besides just improving their soil.