DFCD backs HUSK to scale biochar-based fertiliser solutions in Vietnam and Cambodia

DFCD backs HUSK to scale biochar-based fertiliser solutions in Vietnam and Cambodia

The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) has approved origination support for HUSK, a pioneer in biochar-based fertilisers, to expand sustainable soil regeneration solutions for smallholder farmers across Vietnam and Canada.

DFCD – a climate resilience fund – is funded by the Dutch government and managed by a pioneering consortium of Climate Fund Managers (CFM), Worldwide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) and SNV, led by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, FMO.

Across Southeast Asia, farmers are grappling with declining yields, depleted soils, and rising climate pressures, from prolonged dry spells to increasingly erratic rainfall. The consequences are particularly stark for smallholders, who often lack the resources and resilience to adapt. In response, the DFCD has approved origination facility support to HUSK, a regenerative agriculture company that transforms rice husk waste into organic, tailor-made, crop-specific biochar-based fertilisers that rebuild soil health and store carbon.

This support will help HUSK's capacity to scale its operations in both Vietnam and Cambodia, enabling more farmers to access affordable, climate-resilient alternatives to transition away from synthetic fertilisers. The initiative directly aligns with SNV’s systems approach to agri-food transformation – enhancing soil function, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods – and reflects DFCD’s commitment to unlocking finance for inclusive, climate-resilient solutions.

HUSK started operations in Cambodia in 2019, working with rice mills to collect agricultural waste and transform it into biochar, a carbon-rich, stable substance that improves soil structure and chemistry, boosts water retention, and locks carbon into the ground for centuries. HUSK then combines this biochar with nutrients tailored to local crops and conditions, producing biochar-based fertilisers that regenerate soil and build climate resilience. Their products address widespread issues such as poor water retention, soil compaction, low pH, and nutrient loss, common challenges across the Mekong Delta and Southeast Asia.

With a track record of university-led field trials, long-term mill partnerships, and growing interest from agri-businesses and farmer groups, HUSK is now preparing to scale up its model in Vietnam. The company plans to build a new pyrolysis facility, expand partnerships with local cooperatives and distributors, and adapt its environmental, social, and governance and gender inclusion systems to the Vietnamese context.

This project also builds on SNV’s prior engagement with HUSK through the Innovations Against Poverty (IAP) programme in Cambodia, which supported the company to develop and test early applications of its biochar fertilisers. This initial support helped validate the potential of HUSK’s model to improve soil health, reduce emissions, and boost farmer incomes in Cambodia.

Now, under the DFCD Origination Facility, SNV is supporting HUSK to scale its business model to Vietnam, de-risking investment in a new production facility, supporting local trials, and helping the company expand its regenerative approach into new agro-ecological zones.

Through the DFCD Origination Facility, HUSK will receive tailored grant support to de-risk its next stage of growth. This includes field trials with leading universities in Vietnam and Cambodia, market adoption pilots with farming communities, and the establishment of sustainable feedstock partnerships. The grant will also help HUSK strengthen its environmental and social safeguards and prepare for future investment in biochar expansion.

“This collaboration will help us demonstrate the benefits of biochar-based fertilisers in new territories and build trust among farmers to transition towards more regenerative practices and unlock the scale we need to make sustainable agriculture the norm, not the exception,” said Heloise Buckland, co-founder and chairwoman of HUSK.

VIR