 Who We Are FEATURE STORY NOVEMBER 1, 2018 K n n St rt-Up Provid s Cl n, Ch p Solution to Enrich Soil, Fi ht Pollution       Sa Organics turns agricultural waste into carbon-negative soil conditioner, which restores crop soils that have been acidi ed by decades of chemical fertilizer use. This feature is an outcome of infoDev, a multi-donor program administered by the World Bank Group, with a focus on entrepreneurs in developing economies. This piece was originally published on August 24, 2017.  Farming is a tough business. Growing up on a rural Kenyan farm, Samuel Rigu saw rsthand how the acidity of the expensive, imported fertilizers was damaging the soil and reducing crop yields over time. It seemed the only available solution to maintain crop productivity was also sowing the seeds of their demise.  Rigu eventually left the farm to study agribusiness management at the University of Nairobi. After graduation, he began working at an international non-pro t as a farm manager, and regularly trained farmers on di erent techniques and best practices. Busin ss solution to pollution? While visiting Kenya’s leading rice producing region, Mwea, Rigu noticed that farmers were disposing of tons of agricultural waste, such as rice husks, through open-air burning, creating toxic pollutants. He quickly became determined to nd a solution. He quit his job to launch his rst business. After trying to turn rice husks into briquettes and eco-friendly mosquito coils, Sam found the product he was looking for: soil conditioner. And Sa Organics was born. Sa Sarvi is a soil conditioner that has proven to increase yields by 30%, while also increasing nutrient holding, saving water through better soil retention, and removing up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide per acre of land during growing season. The biochar, which is produced from rice husks, also restores crop soils that have been degraded and acidi ed by decades of chemical fertilizer use.  From w st to soil condition r To develop the fertilizer, the Sa team rst collects agricultural waste from farmers. Then, the biochar is created using a pyrolysis process, which heats the waste in a low- oxygen environment. Next, Sa mixes its own proprietary enhancement formula to ensure balanced nutrients and create a complete, carbon-negative soil amendment. Rigu’s clean tech start-up was supported by the Kenya Climate Innovation Center. When the company rst started, its production capacity was ve tons per month; it reached 25 tons per month by the end of 2016. In addition, Sa ’s customer base has grown to over 1000 direct buyers. Sa Organics has received recognition from a number of start-up competitions, entrepreneur programs, and other organizations, including the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge, University of California’s Global Food Initiative, the Tony Elemelu Foundation, and the Total Challenge - Kenya.  Nutritious soil – for 38 million f rm rs? Through it all, Rigu has remained focused on serving his community and regularly reinvests competition prize money to increase production capacity and marketing e orts. His vision for Sa Organics is to remain a people-centered company, and he hopes to reach over 38 million farmers across Africa. “At Sa Organics, everyone is important. We welcome everyone to share their ideas, and together, we will work toward actualizing those ideas,” he told the Daily Nation. “Every day is a work in progress.” Sa Organics is one of many companies which are supported by infoDev's Climate Technology Program, an initiative sponsored by the U.K.’s Department for International Development, Australia’s Department of Foreign A airs and Trade (Australian Aid), Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign A airs (DANIDA), Norway’s Ministry of Foreign A airs, and the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign A airs. PATRICIO V. MARQUEZ OCT 10, 2021 DAVID MCKENZIE OCT 08, 2021 FATIH BIROL,DAVID MAL 2021 3 Prioriti s to Sc l Up W kl links Octob r 8: M nt l H lth S rvic s r n skills, d f ndin th It’s critic l to t missions Amid COVID-19 st tus quo, n r tin   ood jobs, nts vs hum ns, nd mor … About News Data Projects and Operations Research and Publications Countries Learning Topics FOLLOW US NEWSLETTER Enter email to subscribe... This Site in: ENGLISH  Legal Privacy Notice Site Accessibility Access to Information Jobs Contact SCAM ALERTS REPORT FRAUD OR CORRUPTION IBRD IDA IFC MIGA ICSID © 2021 The World Bank Group, All Rights Reserved.