This is a piece of our running series of updates directly from our Biochar project partners, written from their own experiences and in their own words. Today, we hear from Joshua and the Solidaridad team who are turning coffee, cacao and maize waste into Biochar in Songwe, Tanzania.
April 2025
Joshua Jacob, C-sink Manager, Solidaridad:
Solidaridad Tanzania has been at the forefront of combating environmental challenges with an innovative solution to support farmers in Songwe. As part of its ongoing efforts to address the pressing issue of climate change, Solidaridad introduced a biochar solution in 2024. From September to December of 2024 the organization launched a pilot project to help farmers improve their soil fertility and mitigate the effects of unpredictable weather patterns.
In February 2025, Songwe, Tanzania, experienced an unusual and severe dry season. The area saw a significant shortage of rainfall, with some regions receiving no rain at all, an occurrence that is very typical to happen for this time of year. This led to what could only be described as a semi-drought, causing severe distress among many farmers, particularly those growing coffee, a vital crop in the region.
However, for those farmers who participated in the biochar pilot program, the story was very different. While their neighbors struggled with the dry conditions, the farmers who applied biochar to their fields had a vastly different experience. The results have been nothing short of extraordinary, and their testimonies tell a powerful story of hope and resilience.
Biochar applied around coffee trees. Solidaridad’s Biochar Pilot Project, Songwe, Tanzania.
A Testimony from Ipyana, Songwe: A Farmer’s Confession
One of the standout testimonials came from a farmer in Ipyana, a small village in Songwe region. The farmer, who had participated in the biochar pilot program, shared his personal experience with the impact of biochar during the challenging dry season.
During the February semi-drought, many of his coffee trees showed clear signs of stress. Leaves were wilting. As a result, many of his trees were in bad condition, struggling to survive in the dry conditions. Yet, there was a marked difference in the trees that had been treated with biochar.
According to the farmer, the trees that had received the biochar treatment were still in excellent condition. “It was as if they had been consistently receiving rain,” he remarked. The soil around these trees retained moisture far better than the soil of untreated plants. Additionally, the fertilizers applied in combination with the biochar seemed to work wonders, promoting healthier growth and better resilience against the lack of rainfall.
The farmer from Ipyana was overjoyed with the results and deeply grateful for the solution that Solidaridad introduced. “What was once a far-fetched idea has now become a reality,” he said. “The biochar really works, and it’s giving my farm the fighting chance it needs in these difficult times.”
This farmer was not the only one noticing the positive effects of biochar. Many others in the program have shared similar success stories, with greater resistance to weather extremes. The biochar has proven to be a game-changer, particularly for crops like coffee that are highly sensitive to fluctuating environmental conditions.
Kind regards,
Joshua
Interested in knowing more about the project? Reach out to Hedda here
