The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD), a climate resilience fund backed by the Dutch government, has announced its support for HUSK, a regenerative agriculture company. This initiative aims to scale HUSK’s biochar-based fertilizer solutions across Vietnam and Cambodia, addressing critical agricultural challenges in the region.

Farmers in Southeast Asia frequently contend with declining crop yields, degraded soils, and increasing climate variability, including prolonged droughts and unpredictable rainfall patterns. These issues disproportionately affect smallholder farmers who often lack the resources to adapt. HUSK offers a solution by transforming rice husk waste into organic, crop-specific biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More fertilizers that restore soil health and sequester carbon.

DFCD’s support will enhance HUSK’s operational capacity, enabling more farmers to access affordable, climate-resilient alternatives to synthetic fertilizers. This aligns with SNV’s strategy for agri-food transformation, focusing on improved soil function, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods.

HUSK began its operations in Cambodia in 2019, converting agricultural waste into biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material that improves soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. The company then customizes this biochar with essential nutrients to create tailored fertilizers that regenerate soil and enhance climate resilience. These products address common issues like poor water retention, soil compaction, and nutrient loss prevalent in the Mekong Delta.

Building on successful field trials and existing partnerships, HUSK plans to expand into Vietnam. This expansion includes constructing a new pyrolysisPyrolysis is a thermochemical process that converts waste biomass into bio-char, bio-oil, and pyro-gas. It offers significant advantages in waste valorization, turning low-value materials into economically valuable resources. Its versatility allows for tailored products based on operational conditions, presenting itself as a cost-effective and efficient More facility, forging partnerships with local cooperatives and distributors, and adapting its operational frameworks to the Vietnamese context.

This project also extends SNV’s prior engagement with HUSK through the Innovations Against Poverty (IAP) program in Cambodia, which helped validate HUSK’s model for improving soil health, reducing emissions, and boosting farmer incomes. Now, under the DFCD Origination Facility, SNV is assisting HUSK in de-risking its expansion into Vietnam by supporting investment in a new production facility, facilitating local trials, and extending its regenerative approach into new agricultural areas.

Through this grant support, HUSK will conduct field trials with universities in Vietnam and Cambodia, implement market adoption pilots with farming communities, and establish sustainable partnerships for sourcing raw materials. The grant will also strengthen HUSK’s environmental and social safeguards, preparing the company for future investments in biochar expansion.