Kadin Champions Biochar Technology to Combat Extensive Agricultural Land Degradation
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) is taking a proactive role in championing biochar technology as a viable and crucial solution to address the widespread and severe agricultural land degradation currently plaguing the nation.
Biochar—which is a highly carbon-rich material produced from various forms of biomass through a process of low-oxygen heating known as pyrolysis—functions as an exceptional soil enhancer, effectively improving both fertility and overall structure of the land.
Kadin’s Deputy Chair for Agriculture, Devi Erna Rachmawati, highlighted the alarming statistic that over 60 percent of Indonesia’s agricultural farmland has significantly deteriorated, making the introduction and large-scale adoption of biochar an urgent necessity.
Rachmawati pointed out the clear paradox: “Our land is unhealthy, but biochar’s raw materials are abundant here,” referring to the vast availability of agricultural waste and biomass across the archipelago.
She strongly urged the government to play an active role in introducing this beneficial technology to local farmers nationwide and to ensure its strategic consideration within future agricultural policy planning and support programs.
To facilitate this transition, Kadin has taken the initiative to establish a dedicated research and training center in Lebak, Banten Province, which spans an area of 180 hectares.
This center is designed to foster collaboration between Kadin, the Ministry of Agriculture, the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and private industry players.
The facility provides essential support for research and offers comprehensive training to farmers across the full spectrum of agricultural practices, including livestock and fisheries, through both online and traditional offline channels.
The Dual Role of Biochar in Yield and Environmental Sustainability
Biochar is being recognized not only for its immediate benefits in boosting crop yields and improving soil health but also for its vital potential role in environmental remediation and the emerging carbon trading market.
Dedi Nursyamsi, Senior Agricultural Extension Expert at the Ministry of Agriculture, strongly emphasized the multifaceted benefits of using biochar, noting its critical role in significantly boosting crop yields, effectively remediating soils that have become contaminated, and reducing the nation’s heavy reliance on synthetic chemical fertilizers.
He provided a technical explanation of its benefits: “Biochar improves soil ventilation, enhances water retention capacity, and stimulates crucial microbial activity,” all of which are fundamental to long-term soil health and productivity.
Crucially, Nursyamsi added that biochar also holds considerable potential for the emerging carbon trading market, given its ability to sequester atmospheric carbon for centuries in the soil, positioning it as a climate-smart agricultural practice.
The Ministry of Agriculture has already actively developed a product called Biotron, which is an innovative 3-in-1 biochar that has been specially enriched with essential micronutrients and liquid organic fertilizer.
This enhanced biochar product is currently being distributed to farmers in key agricultural regions across Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Java.
However, despite these promising developments and the clear benefits, Nursyamsi acknowledged that the current procurement and distribution capacity remains limited and explicitly called for greater support and investment from industry stakeholders to massively scale up the adoption and availability of this technology.
Scaling Adoption Through Policy and Industry Collaboration
Scaling the utilization of biochar across Indonesia requires a concerted effort from government policy makers and the private sector to overcome current logistical and procurement limitations.
The transition to using biochar as a widespread soil amendment is dependent on robust policy support and streamlined cooperation between public and private entities.
Kadin’s initiative in establishing the research and training center is a crucial first step, but the challenge lies in moving beyond pilot programs to national-level implementation.
The government must address the infrastructural gaps in biomass collection and the establishment of pyrolysis facilities to ensure a consistent, high-quality supply of biochar that can meet the massive demand from deteriorated farmland across 60 percent of the country.
Supporting farmers with subsidies, technical knowledge transfer, and accessible procurement channels is vital for overcoming initial resistance to adopting new agricultural practices.
The potential for biochar to reduce reliance on imported chemical fertilizers also holds significant implications for the nation’s economic security and balance of payments, making it a matter of national strategic importance.
By integrating biochar into national policy frameworks— especially those related to sustainable agriculture and climate change mitigation—Indonesia can leverage its abundant biomass resources to achieve both food security and environmental stewardship goals simultaneously.
The call for greater support from industry stakeholders is a recognition that capital and logistical expertise from the private sector are essential to transform the promise of biochar into a nationwide agricultural reality.
