The Co.Co.Farm project, promoted by the Terre del Magra community-based cooperative and supported by Fairbnb.coop, has an ambitious goal: activate an eco-sustainable and circular economy starting from the recovery of residual wood that accumulates along the coast and the waterways of the territory. These biomasses can be transformed into biochar, a soil improver that, in addition to mitigating the impact of agriculture on climate change, improves soil fertility.

You can support this eco-sustainable development project by planning your next holidays in Liguria on Fairbnb.coop and choosing Co.Co.Farm as the beneficiary of our crowdfunding.

Biochar: a natural resource for thriving and sustainable agriculture

The high porosity of the charcoal generated by combustion improves the biological and chemical characteristics of the soil in which it is buried, with positive effects on fertility and, therefore, on agricultural production. Water and nutrients are in fact retained longer and crops benefit from them.

The reduced need for irrigation makes biochar very useful even in sandy soils and in areas subjected to periods of drought and desertification processes.

The eco-sustainable footprint of biochar

Thanks to its compact structure, biochar remains a stable substance, i.e. non-degradable by soil microorganisms, for an unspecified number of years, but certainly for a lot of time: the soil fertilized with biochar by the indigenous people of the Amazon many centuries ago is still particularly fertile today.

The better fertility of the soils treated with biochar obviously entails a greater photosynthetic efficiency and, therefore, a higher carbon sequestration. The eco-sustainable footprint of biochar, however, also derives from its very structure, which allows it to mitigate CO2 emissions.

Instead of being released into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is stored by the biochar, which can reach a carbon content equal to 90% of its structure.

In addition to the ability to retain large quantities of water, biochar is able to absorb pollutants, thus becoming potentially useful also in environmental remediation: its presence in the ground can resolve situations compromised by the contamination of metals or other carcinogenic substances. The burial of biochar also hinders the leaching of nitrates and phosphates due to heavy rain and can therefore contribute to the preservation of aquifers.

Your eco-sustainable holiday in Liguria

Biochar is therefore an eco-sustainable resource with extraordinary properties, which can be produced in Liguria thanks to the Co.Co.Farm project: the construction of an ecological platform equipped with a specific boiler will allow to treat about 250 tons of biomass every year, from which 9 tons of biochar will be obtained. Furthermore, combustion generates renewable energy, which can be stored and reused for both electricity and heating.

If you are planning your next summer holidays on the Riviera di Levante in Liguria, you can thus decide to have a positive and eco-sustainable impact on the territory you will visit, by booking through Fairbnb.coop: half of our platform fees will be donated to Co.Co. Farm.

You can choose one of the vacation rentals Cinque Terre d’aMare, one of the cozy rooms at the centrally located Casa dei Treni in La Spezia, or a resort surrounded by greenery such as the Agriturismo Terra del Bosco, strategically located on the border between Liguria and Tuscany… yours will still be an eco-friendly and regenerative vacation.