BIOSORRA

Our Organization

BIOSORRA

What is the name of your solution?

BIOSORRA

Provide a one-line summary of your solution.

We transform crop waste into crop yield by producing BIOSORRA, biochar soil improver that increases farm crops by up to 200% while sequestering CO2.

Film your elevator pitch.

What specific problem are you solving?

The problem:

We are all dependent on soil to grow our food. However, as the planet’s population grows, with Africa’s population slated to double by 2050, we will run out of arable land (UN 2022). A supply shortage of arable land directly impacts malnutrition, accelerates climate change and increases poverty (WFP 2021). 

The soil is suffering in several African countries due to inefficient farming techniques, such as slash-and-burn. Under this practice, farmers clear cut their land and burn any remaining crops or vegetation. While the resulting layer of ash provides the newly cleared land with a nutrient-rich layer to help fertilize the crops, the land only remains fertile for one or two years; in the long-run, slash-and-burn results in soil erosion, making it difficult to grow food in the future, as well as carbon emissions that contribute to climate change. Fewer crops result in lower incomes to adopt expensive fertilizers, modern equipment or sustainable farming techniques. This is the vicious cycle of land degradation. 

What is your solution?

Our Solution:

At Biosorra, we break the cycle of degradation by providing biochar and training to farmers and farming cooperatives across Kenya. Biochar is a soil improver that harnesses the power of crop waste to increase yields and simultaneously capture carbon. 

We have developed a phased approach to supporting smallholder farmers to shift away from slash and burn techniques and towards sustainable techniques that will support increased food security across Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa.

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

BIOSORRA exists to support smallholder farmers. We are launching in Kenya where there are some 2.4 million farms and 60% of the population makes their living from agriculture, contributing to 26% of the country’s GDP. Damaging techniques of slash & burn are rife here, and there is poor agricultural output, contributing to a malnutrition rate of ~26% (WFP 2021).

From our on-site observations and key informant interviews the following social and environmental challenges were identified:

- The type of soil is mostly acidic, with high risk of desertification. During rainy season, earth subsidence leads to loss of life and property. 
- Water supply shortages make adequate water distribution difficult, affecting crops.
- These shortages primarily happen in low-income areas, contributing factors include high maintenance costs, inadequate revenue and rising cost of fertilizers. These farmers make only 1.6$/day, struggling heavily to make their living and feed their families.

With biochar, we improve crop yields up to 150%, requiring 30% less water, improving income by 75%, while sequestering carbon out of the atmosphere. It is affordable (only 1/5th the price of fertilizer), retainable (lasting 100 years in the soil) and sustainable (1tn of biochar captures 3tns of carbon). With biochar, we help informal communities leapfrog into the future to balance states of inequality.

In summary, directly impact touches not only on the farmers itself, but their families, food availability in the country. For now, we produce agricultural fertilizers but the byproduct we aim to get in the process coming from same crop waste serves to cook in housing.

Indirectly, we are incentivizing job creation: to suppliers, c-level positions, scientific measurements, farmers and ultimately franchisees (women). 
In the long term, we intend to scale through a franchise model. We intend to select and train women community leaders to be franchises of Biosorra, individuals who are already trusted locally.

How are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?

We have built a diverse, multidisciplinary student team to drive the growth of Biosorra. Last year, our team joined to tackle the most pressing problems faced by farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. It was through our experiences in Ghana and Kenya that we understood the root cause problem as the soil and felt the moral drive to be part of the solution.

We are a strong diverse team that got together to study the MBA. We have the right backgrounds needed for the company: Sofie (from Belgium and Canada) has devoted her life to studying agriculture and is biochar expert, Vino (from Malaysia) has 15+ years of experience in emerging markets, Carla (from Mexico), has an investment banking background and financial services, Wangechi (from Kenya), with an agricultural background and big farmer family records, and myself with consulting background at Deloitte and McKinsey, and strong project management and leadership skills. We have a local trustworthy anchor from MBA community in Ghana, and Kenya, thanks to Strathmore Business School.

Our second revenue stream (though the most important one) is carbon credits, and we aim to grow globally. We leverage this network and connections in 4 continents.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Support local economies that protect high-carbon ecosystems from development, including peatlands, mangroves, and forests.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

Our solution's stage of development:

How many people does your solution currently serve?

150

Why are you applying to Solve?

We apply to Solve MIT for a dual beneficial cooperation:
1. We are hungry to collaborate and help other social impact entrepreneurs after our experience during this journey.
2. We would like to benefit from Solve MIT network in the US and outside the US as MIT is number 2 in successful entrepreneurship thanks to its amazing network, talent, and resources.
We would also seek specific advise to launch BIOSORRA with its highest potential in the following areas: Human capital, legal, tax and accounting, business model improvement.

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Ines Serra Baucells (CEO and cofounder)