Farm Gai Kaisa

Farm Gai Kaisa is a pioneering biochar carbon removal project in Namibia that transforms invasive bush encroachment — one of the most serious land degradation challenges in southern Africa — into a permanent carbon sink. Namibia's rangelands have been severely impacted by woody encroachment, where dense invasive shrubs outcompete native grasses, reduce biodiversity, impede livestock grazing, and degrade water catchments. The project harvests this invasive biomass and converts it through slow pyrolysis into biochar — a stable, charcoal-like material that can persist in soils for hundreds to thousands of years. When incorporated into agricultural soils, biochar enhances water retention, improves crop yields, and supports soil microbial health, delivering benefits for local smallholder farmers. The carbon stored in biochar is considered highly durable under the Oxford Offsetting Principles, making it a genuinely long-lived removal credit. The project also restores degraded rangeland, supports rural livelihoods, and demonstrates how African farmers can be at the frontier of carbon removal innovation.