Nov 30, 2022
Brando Crespi has devoted decades to
sustainable development as co-founder and Executive Chair at
Pro Natura International and Global Biochar. His
holistic approach to sustainable development could be called
regenerative––instead of telling poor and exploited people what
they should do, it's about recognizing and cultivating local
leadership, helping them form a community vision for their future,
providing the assistance necessary to achieve that vision, and then
getting out of the way.
Along the way, Crespi and his colleagues came across biochar, a
substance made from burning bio waste (like sawdust and crop husks)
and that has been used in the Amazon for millennia. As a soil
amendment, biochar can bring dead soil back to life, improve crop
yields, and decrease water use. It can also be used in industrial
products and plastics. And its production can provide an energy
source in communities looking to develop clean energy and
regenerative agriculture.