For most people, the term biochar will probably sound like it’s some sort of hazardous material involved in a sci-fi flick. But it’s quite the opposite: Biochar is a soil amendment, which is to say that it helps condition the soil for planting and has natural healing properties since ancient times. It is made up of dried agricultural waste that is turned into charcoal-like material in a controlled process called pyrolysis.

“Biochar is great for trapping carbon and other greenhouse gases forever in the soil,” says SBF founder Ching Camara and Chief Agriculturist Philip Camara. Apart from this, “biochar has numerous microscopic chambers that provide housing for microbes that are key to a plant’s efficient ability to take in nutrients from the soil,” Lastly, Biochar is a great heat repellant and helps cool down the beach sand, where the biochar facility is located.

Sambali Beach Farm is at the forefront of Biochar in the Philippines and is one of the most well-known Biochar-production centers in the country. Beyond Biochar's applications in farming, it is also used in creating houses, by mixing the product with sand and cement. This results in walls that control humidity, remove mold, and neutralize electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and other electronics. It also helps freshen and cool the indoor air for a comfortable living area.

Sambali Beach Farm and its exclusive distributor, PGC Enterprises OPC are adamant advocates of the application of Biochar and have been active in creating a number of all-natural body and home products of its by-product, conducting training for farms, students, and organizations to implement Biochar technology. Apart from its many applications and products, Biochar technology is a simple yet powerful tool that combats climate change and provides many organic home and farming solutions. In fact, 1 KG of biochar placed in the soil sequesters 3KG of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!