[Terrapreta] Agronomic and Economic Values of Terra Preta

[Tom Miles]

We need to clearly define the agronomic and economic values of terra preta
to lead the technology development that we have been discussing. In most
cases wood or other biomass resources are available. Technologies are in
place or under development. A clear understanding of the agronomic value of
biochar - the most appropriate uses and quantification of the benefits- and
the economic value - markets, economic benefits - will help move this
process along. 

 

Promotion of terra preta will take the development of new businesses or new
marketing activities for existing businesses. Getting applications, pricing,
logistics and performance worked out for new products often takes about
three years. Similarly field testing of something like biochar also takes
about three years before you begin to get comfortable about results.
Adoption by existing farmers and resource managers is either driven by
economics - "it's a lot cheaper" - or demonstration - "the neighbor has been
getting better yields at lower costs." Those are either five minute or five
year decisions. Public policy cycles in the US are also about 3 to 5 years.
It takes 5 years to get the first policy started.  Subsidies or incentives
then have to be renewed every two to three years. Then business and finance
have to respond to an incentive. 

 

The biggest challenge is getting from the ancient "market" of the Amazon
basin to contemporary agriculture and resource management. There's no
substitute for well documented testimony and field testing in a local
market. That's why the initiative and commitment by private enterprise, e.g.
Richard Haard, John Flottvik, EPRIDA, BEST and others, and the field
experience in Asia, e.g., FFTC, Ogawa,  backed up and pushed by the public
institutions, e.g. Cornell, U Hawaii, U Beyreuth, is so important. A missing
piece in the US is more involvement by the USDA Cooperative Extension
Service at the local level. Our extension agents can really catalyze the
testing and adoption of new techniques by growers of all kinds.  

 

Tom                  

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