Stop the Smoke - Reduce Global Warming

The rainy season started early this year, ending the smoke from crop and forest fires until the weather gets drier.  Here are some updates on our Stop the Smoke efforts here in Northern Thailand.

While commissioning the Wastex biochar equipment has taken longer than hoped, we’re making steady strides toward full operation. We’ve had significant interest in the technology. Representatives from the Provincial Local Development Department visited to observe the process and learn how this model might be applied in other smoke-prone areas. In addition, the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC) came to test emissions from the Wastex unit, contributing data to the national Thailand Biochar Consortium research project.

The Consortium itself held a major brainstorming workshop on May 26. Participants included representatives from FAO, university researchers, and biochar producers across Thailand. Warm Heart’s Aom presented our multi-country work with smallholders, highlighting practical, low-cost methods for making biochar and integrating it into daily farming.

On May 9, we were invited to join a roundtable hosted by the German-Thai Agricultural Cooperation Project (GETHAC) at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Agriculture. It was inspiring to see so many organizations tackling crop residue burning. From government programs to grassroots efforts, biochar is gaining traction as a scalable solution, including within the Royal Project Foundation’s large agricultural development programs.

Training also continued with Michael and Prachan Jakeo (“PJ”) joining a World Wildlife Fund program to train farmers in Tak province.  They face the many challenges of steep terrain and worsening soil degradation. Teaching smallholders how to convert waste into biochar is not just about smoke reduction—it’s about restoring soil, increasing yields, and protecting livelihoods.

In our field testing, Aom has been expanding our biochar feedstock trials. We’ve added small branches with leaves, coffee husks, durian shells, macadamia shells, teak leaves, and cassava rhizomes to our experiments. Understanding how each feedstock performs is critical for determining the best pyrolysis kiln and expanding the adoption of biochar.

As always, thank you for supporting this work. Your partnership allows us to keep innovating, sharing what we learn, and equipping farmers with tools for resilience and environmental restoration. Together, we are making visible progress—one farmer, one field, and one fire-free harvest at a time.

Best wishes for the summer months!

Dana, Michael, Evelind and the Warm Heart Biochar Team

The annual Chiang Mai burning ban took effect on January 1, and as February comes to a close, we are still enjoying blue skies—a welcome sight! A few days of rain kept the fields green, giving us hope for cleaner air this season.

We are encouraged to connect with new biochar advocates across Thailand and have joined a coalition (Thailand Biochar Consortium) working to establish a biochar standard for the country. This effort will help open a market for biochar, promoting the widespread transformation of crop waste into a valuable resource. The Consortium includes Chiang Mai University, NSTDA, MTEC, in collaboration with various university networks, including Kasetsart University, Maejo University, etc., as well as many businesses. 

Advancing Biochar Technology 

We’ve been busy installing two new Wastex machines, which use a high-tech, circular system designed to produce biochar while capturing the last bit of methane released during the pyrolysis process. Additionally, we now have a chipper to shred orchard tree prunings at the farm, allowing us to convert them into biochar more efficiently. The biochar we produce continues to be distributed to organic farmers around Phrao, supporting sustainable agriculture while reducing air pollution. We are still fine-tuning our system and remain committed to finding new and innovative ways to produce biochar and keep smoke out of the air.  

Warm Heart Learning Center: A New Hub for Community Engagement 

Another milestone this quarter was the opening of the Warm Heart Learning Center in Hang Dong. Classes began in late December, and on February 4, we launched our first Warm Hearts’ Market, a monthly event held on the second Saturday of each month. The market featured organically grown vegetables from the Warm Heart Farm and local producers. Biochar for fertilizer, our new vermicast product, and our long lasting, low smoke briquettes were also available for sale.

Aom led a hands-on biochar and potting soil demonstration, and we celebrated the launch of our first raised-bed vegetable plots. Looking ahead, we plan to expand the Learning Center’s offerings, welcoming other organizations to host classes, workshops, poetry readings, and musical recitals in this conveniently located space just south of Chiang Mai’s city center. One initiative under discussion is to make the Center a collection point for tree pruning and making biochar to minimize burning around the city.

Biochar Academy & International Collaboration  

This quarter also saw our participation in the International Biochar Initiative’s Biochar Academy at ECHO Farm in Chiang Mai. We had the opportunity to demonstrate biochar production and present Biochar Life as a case study. The event brought together participants from across Thailand and around the world, creating a valuable platform for sharing the latest scientific advancements, exchanging ideas, and expanding the network of biochar advocates. 

Thank you for making this possible.  We look forward to sharing more progress in the coming months! 

Best wishes for the New Year!

Dana, Evelind Michael, and the Warm Heart Biochar Team