Biochar Production and Carbon Credit Creation Project Using Rice Husks from Rice Cultivation Begins Demonstration in Niigata, Japan
We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting advance membership applications for the second phase of the rice farming consortium and have launched a project in Niigata to produce biochar from rice crops and generate carbon credits.
The first phase of the rice farming consortium recruitment began in May 2023, and within four months, approximately 5,000 ha of rice paddy farmers and 71 corporations had joined the consortium. This time, we are recruiting new members (new participants) for the second phase of the Rice Crop Consortium from today to December 31, 2023. In addition, as a new project that farmers participating in the rice farming consortium can work on, we have started a biochar production and carbon credit generation demonstration using rice husks from rice farming in Niigata.
◆Background of the launch of the Rice Paddy Consortium
On March 1, 2023, the J-Credit1 Steering Committee approved a new methodology2 for “Extension of Medium Drying Period in Rice Cultivation”. While the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation can now be issued and distributed as “credits” recognized by the government, registration and credit issuance costs of several million yen are required for individual small-scale farmers to register their projects for J-Credits, and the time and effort required to prepare application forms and procedures for registration and application are also cited as issues. In addition, the time and effort required to prepare and submit an application for registration and application is also an issue. Therefore, in April 2023, Green Carbon launched the “Rice Crop Consortium” to collectively apply for and register J-credits derived from paddy fields in Japan by inviting participants.
*1: This is a system under which the Japanese government certifies as “J-credits” the amount of CO2 and other emission reductions achieved through the introduction of energy-saving equipment and the use of renewable energy, as well as the amount of CO2 and other emissions absorbed through appropriate forest management. This system is a developmental integration of the Domestic Credit System and the Offset Credit System (J-VER), and is administered by the government. J-Credits generated by this system can be used for various purposes, such as achieving the targets of the Keidanren Carbon Neutral Action Plan and carbon offsetting.
*2: A new methodology has been approved to extend the period of drying out rice paddies for approximately seven days, thereby reducing methane gas emissions, the difference of which will be used to generate J-credits.
◆Achievements in the current fiscal year
During the first application period (May to August, 2023), a total of 5,000 ha of rice paddy farmers and 71 corporations, mainly in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, participated in the project, which is expected to generate credits worth several tens of millions of yen in the future. In addition, we were able to collect valuable data on the impact of the medium-drying on yields and the differences in methane gas reductions by region. In addition, “Agreen, “*3 a service that provides comprehensive support from credit creation to sales, has been launched, making it possible to simulate the amount of credits generated and earnings from the target farmland.
3: A service that provides comprehensive support from complex application procedures to project implementation and credit sales by allowing farmers, local governments, companies, etc. to estimate the amount of carbon credits they can generate and upload the necessary documents to the Agreen service website.
◆Outline of the 2nd phase of prior membership application
From today until the end of December 2023, we will be accepting applications for membership from rice farmers throughout Japan. Farmers who become members ahead of others in this recruitment will be given priority in the form of study sessions and seminars on the findings from the first phase (effects of drying in the middle, examples of initiatives, timing of application, and real voices of farmers who have implemented the program).
○How to apply
Please copy the information in the link below, write it down in the appropriate section, and send it by e-mail to the address in the “Inquiries and Applications” section.
URL： http://green-carbon.co.jp/recruit-contact/
Mail：info@green-carbon.co.jp Phone：(＋81)0-7036-3424（Yoshimi）
○Membership Agreement
◆Merit
No registration procedures are required.
If you provide basic information on paddy fields and managers, the Consortium will carry out the procedures on your behalf.
No registration fee
The registration fee is waived because the Consortium provides financial support for the registration.
Earn additional income from the sale and purchase of J-Credits
The consortium can earn additional income from the sale and purchase of J-credits.
Branding as environmentally friendly rice
A logo that certifies that the rice is environmentally friendly can be created and sold as a brand of rice.
Improved quality and reduced man-hours in credit creation
Aiming to simplify monitoring by utilizing DX agricultural data and satellite data.
◆Future development
In the future, the consortium will hold tasting events of “environmentally friendly rice “*4 harvested in areas where medium-dry rice cultivation is implemented, sell harvested rice on an e-commerce site, and hold study sessions/seminars on a regular basis. The rice farming consortium will contribute to the carbon neutrality of Japan from the field of agriculture by spreading the rice farming consortium not only among rice farmers but also among field farmers and farmers across the country.
*4: Environmentally friendly rice refers to rice grown in paddy fields where the “Methodology for Reducing Methane Gas by Extending Medium Drying” adopted by J-Credit has been implemented. The term “eco-friendly rice” refers to rice grown in paddy fields where methane gas emissions are reduced compared to normal rice.
◆Background and Overview of the Biochar Project
In the course of developing carbon credit generation projects centered on agriculture, Green Carbon focused on the methodology for “biochar application to agricultural land “*5, which was approved in 2020, as well as methane gas reduction associated with the extension of paddy field drying in the middle of the year.
We are now starting an experiment in a field in Niigata to produce biochar and generate carbon credits by utilizing rice husks from rice cultivation with the aim of operating the project as a new project that farmers participating in the rice farming consortium can work on.
This time, we carried out this project with rice farmers in Niigata Prefecture. The use of biochar, which contains a wide variety of minerals, allows plants to grow strong and sturdy and promotes root development, which allows them to fully absorb nutrients and reduce fertilizer. A farmer in Niigata Prefecture commented that he hopes to see more farmers become aware of carbon credit creation and environmental considerations by accelerating initiatives such as this one.
5: Activities to store persistent carbon in the soil by applying biochar, a solid material made by heating biomass at temperatures exceeding 350°C under controlled oxygen concentrations that prevent combustion, to agricultural soil.