Meilensteine des Ithaka Instituts

Die Meilensteine der Jahre 2007 bis 2016 finden Sie unten

2017 In dem vom deutschen BMBF geförderten Projekt BioCAP (Globales Biomasse-CCS zur Erreichung des 1.5°-Ziels: Analyse von Potenzialen, Nebenwirkungen und Synergieeffekten für atmosphärischen C-Entzug und C-Sequestrierung durch Biomasse-Karbonisierung) arbeitet Ithaka gemeinsam mit dem Potsdam Instituts für Klimafolgenforschung und der Hochschule Geisenheim University, wo der Begriff PyCCS (pyrogenic carbon capture and storage) geprägt wird.

2017 Im Rahmen des Empyrion Projekts werden systematische Reihen von > 100 aktivierten Pflanzenkohlen aus allen Arten von Biomasse hergestellt, die den Konzeptbeweis erbringen, dass Pflanzenkohle aus lokal verfügbaren Biomassen zu qualitativ hochwertiger Aktivkohle für die Abwasserreinigung verarbeitet werden kann. 

2017 Gründung des Ithaka Instituts Germany als gemeinnützige GmbH in Freiburg.

2017 Erstmals publiziert Ithaka seine Forschungsergebnisse in einem der Nature Journals.

2017 In Nepal werden die ersten Waldgärten als Kohlenstoff-Senken angelegt und das erste CO2-Abo eingeführt.

2017 Ithaka publiziert erstmals das grundlegende Konzept der pflanzenkohlebasierten Düngung basierend auf 21 Feldversuchen mit 13 Pflanzenarten. (Link zum englischen Paper)

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2018 Unter Leitung von Ithaka wird das Grundlagenpaper zu „Pyrogenic Carbon Capture and Storage (PyCCS) in dem renommierten Journal Global Change Biology veröffentlicht (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcbb.12553). PyCCS hat sich seither bereits als leitgebender Begriff des Konzepts durchgesetzt und bereits über 14,000 Suchergebnisse auf Google sowie einen Wikipedia-Eintrag (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrogenic_carbon_capture_and_storage).

2018 Zwei der vier im IPPC-Spezialreport ziertierten Publikationen zu Biochar als Negative Emissions Technology entstanden unter Mitwirkung von Ithaka (siehe hier)

2018 In Bangladesh wurde die Methode der pflanzenkohlebasierten Düngung in 80 Dörfern mit über 500 Bauernfamilien etabliert und führte zu einer durchschnittlichen Ertragssteigerung von 50% (Projektbeschreibung)

2018 In Cuba führt Ithaka gemeinsam mit einer Reihe lokaler Partner die pflanzenkohlebasierte Düngung ein, um den Einsatz von Chemiedüngern zu verringern und die Abhängigkeit von teuren Düngemittelimporten zu reduzieren. (BioC-Projekt)

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2019 Ithaka publiziert den ersten großen Review über den Einsatz von Pflanzenkohle in der Tierfütterung (The use of biochar in animal feeding).

2019 In Cuba wird der Einsatz von pflanzenkohlebasierter Düngung in die Landwirtschaftsstrategie der Regierung aufgenommen.

2019 Erste Weinlese im Weinberg Los Arcos, den Ithaka 2017 als Beispiel für Qualitätsweinbau im Klimawandel im Süden Andalusiens angelegt und seither betreut hat.

2019 Unterzeichnung eines Partnerschaftsvertrages mit der Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft, Agroscope. Im Rahmen mehrerer Projekte für das schweizerische Umwelt- und das Landwirtschaftsministerium wird an einer umfassenden Klimastrategie unter Einbezug von Pflanzenkohle gearbeitet.

2019 Organisation und Durchführung der ersten internationalen Konferenz zu pflanzenkohlebasierten Kohlenstoffsenken (C-Senken) in Helsinki (gemeinsam mit der International Biochar Initiative).

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2020 Einführung des ersten Standards für die Zertifizierung von C-Senken (EBC C-Sink)

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2007 Set-up of the first European field trial with biochar in the Mythopia vineyard (Valais, Switzerland). Field size of 3000 m2 including a 1000 m2 treatment with biochar-compost that was compared to compost only and to the control without any amendment (see Biochar in European viticulture).

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2009 Foundation of the Ithaka Journal, the first journal dedicated to biochar and climate farming (The Ithaka Journal).

2009 Introduction of the first guidelines and label for viticulture in high biodiversity. More than 100 wine-growing companies in Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany are certified since then (see Biochar in European viticulture)

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2010 Installation of Europeans first industrial biochar unit at Swiss Biochar in Lausanne (CH) producing 300 t of biochar per year (watch the video here)

2010 Coordination of the Biochar garden trial with 200 Swiss hobby gardeners participating over two growing seasons (see: Biochar gardening)

2010 Development of the Swiss Terra Preta, a highly fertile soil substrate containing biochar. More than 1000 m3 of Swiss Terra Preta are commercialized by different companies in Switzerland and Germany since then (see for example here).

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2011 Set-up of biochar field trials in three representative vineyards in Italy, Spain, and France (find more information here)

2011 Creation of the concept Cascading use of biochar in animal farming (see Biochar - a key technology for the planet). Development of the first biochar containing feed substrate for different livestock species (the CarbonFeed series, produced now by EM-Schweiz AG)

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2012 Creation of the European Biochar Certificate with independent on-site control of production in Europe.  (see: European Biochar Certificate).

2012 Publication of the very influential article: 55 uses of biochar that marked the step to overcome the restriction of biochar to agriculture. (see: 55 uses of biochar)

2012 Building the first biochar-clay wine cellar (see: Biochar for optimal indoor climate)

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2013 Switzerland becomes the first country after Japan to officially approve biochar as a soil amendment for agriculture. The approval is based on strict, scientifically checked requirements with regard to the sustainability of biochar production, to biochar quality, and to user protection in its application (see: here).

2013 Organization of the first biochar ring trial to compare and unify biochar analytical methods. 24 participants from 12 countries. (more information here)

2013 Building the worlds first office with biochar building materials (see: The use of biochar as a building material)

2013 Construction of the Pyreka Research Pyrolysis to enable rapid tests of the suitability of a wide range of feedstock, blending, and production parameters for specially designed biochars (see: Pyreka research pyrolysis).

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2014 Development of several types of flame curtain biochar production devices including soil pit kilns, pyramid kilns, and the Kon-Tiki open fire deep cone kiln that will eventually democratize biochar production throughout the world (watch the video: Kon-Tiki and visit the Backyard Biochar).

2014 Foundation of the Ithaka Institute US (director Kathleen Draper)

2014 Foundation of the Biochar Journal the first international journal entirely dedicated to biochar and carbon intelligence (starting 1st September: the Biochar Journal)

2014 Introduction of farm-scale biochar production and application to Nepal (Asia Development Project)

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2015 Demonstrating for the first time scientifically that low amounts of nutrient enhanced biochar may massively increase crop yield. Obtaining a fourfold yield increase in pumpkin (82 t / ha) using only 750 kg/ha of root zone applied biochar that was nutrient enhanced with cow-urine.

2015 The Kon-Tiki technology is adopted in more than 40 countries on all green continents making it the most employed biochar producing technology

2015 The Ithaka initiated World CharDays from 19^th to 21^st June 2015 produced > 17 t biochar sequestering 38,000 kg CO₂. 

2015 Thanks to the donations of the friends of Ithaka after the terrible earthquake in Nepal, 10,000 trees of an agro-reforestation in Ratanpur were planted supporting farmers on a long term with the selling of carbon credits, 78 farmer families were supported to produce urine enhanced biochar, 20 earthbag clay houses were built for farmer families that had lost their houses in the earthquake   

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2016 Ithaka developed the CO2-Subscription to link private CO₂-emitter directly with tropical farmers that capture CO₂ via forest garden systems. Another 15,000 mixed trees were planted in the Ratanpur and Bandipur region of Nepal within newly established forest gardens.

2016 With more than 150 scientific and farmer field trials in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Europe, Ithaka demonstrated the overwhelming efficiency of concentrated root zone application of organic biochar based fertilizer.

2016 Foundation of the Ithaka Institute for Climate Farming in Nepal

2016 Introduction of (farmer made) organic biochar based fertilization to improve food security and nutrient diversity in rural Bangladesh.

2016 Delivered proof that farmer made Kon-Tiki biochar is of high quality, meets the criteria of the European Biochar Certificate, and has low emissions during production.