Equivalent Certification Body
INDOCERT is recognized as equivalent certification body listed by European Union in the list of inspection and certification bodies recognized from EU for : Category A Un processed plant product, Category D Processed agricultural product for use as food and Category E Processed agricultural product for use as feed.
INDOCERT has partnered with Carbon Standards International AG (CSI) and CERES-CERT AG, Switzerland, to offer inspection and certification services in India for the Biochar standards, set by CSI. Biochar is a porous, carbonaceous material that is produced by pyrolysis of biomass and is applied in such a way that the contained carbon remains stored as a long-term carbon sink. It is not made to be burnt for energy generation. For Biochar production and Certification of Carbon Sinks two main Standards are available: 1. European Biochar Certificate 2. Global Artisan C-Sink
European Biochar Certificate
The European Biochar Certificate (EBC) gives confidence to biochar produced and procured sustainably from biomass. It ensures the entire quality and quantity of biochar is subject to monitoring and documentation. Based on the quality of the biochar, the feedstock material and possible application of the biochar, various classes exist within the EBC standard – FeedPlus, Feed, AgroOrganic, Agro, Urban, Consumer Materials and Basic Materials. The certified biochar may have several applications such as soil amendment, additives for livestock feed, for effluent treatment, additive in construction materials, consumer materials, paper, textiles and storage batteries.
Global Artisan C-Sink
The Global Artisan C-Sink standard makes biochar certification accessible to small-scale groups of farmers in internal control systems (ICS). As smallholder farmers cultivate most tropical agricultural land, the certification of carbon sinks must be organized in a generic and decentralized manner. The climate services provided through the establishment and maintenance of carbon sinks by smallholder farmers will have to be bundled into marketable products (i.e., carbon certificates or tokens), generating additional income for farmers and creating economic incentives for the new industrial sector of agricultural climate services.