Sweden

Introduction

The project idea is to test and create knowledge about the possibilities of biochar within SydostLeader’s geographical area. This will be performed in two different ways. Two test models for environmentally friendly biochar plants are developed, a pilot project for testing a biochar burner, there will be built handling machines to take care of biocoal, a large event with information about biocoal is carried out and the local biochar network with about ten people and entrepreneurs is developed and expanded. The first test model to be built is a simple, modified biochar production model suitable for the horticulturalist. This model, Biochar garden, does not extract heat but produces biochar in a clean and environmentally friendly way. Within the framework of the project, we will build two prototypes and develop them so that they are user[1]friendly and take local conditions into account. They will be used to spread information about biochar and in a practical and educational way show the technology of producing biochar in an environmentally friendly way.

Presentation of the project

The project is located in Ödavata, Emmaboda municipality, South East Sweden. The project adresses problems of enviromental issuses as negative emissions play an increased role in reducing the effects of global warming. Production and use of biochar is a way of creating negative emissions. Objectives of SydostLeader strategy is that the area’s needs and capabilities can then be summarized into three broad goals: 1. Increased attractiveness 2. Balanced and sustainable living 3.Strategic partnerships for local development and growth – The project has a bearing on all of these objectives. The actual results are far beyond expectations and a real success, the results has been spread across Sweden with more than 40 active ambassadors and partners established such as companies, universities, the church, voluntary organizations and the general public. – They are ready to spread and share the knowledge in the rest of Europé SydostLeader has mostly been the funding ans supporting partner. The project has also been designated to the best Leaderproject during this programperiod in comparation with 70 other projects with the motivation: ”whit such a dark result they give us hope on a bright future”

Emblematic character of the project

Quote from our strategy: “We must develop environmental measures that promote the hospitality industry and entrepreneurship and improve the quality of life. Both wind and hydropower as well as bioenergy are areas that can be better developed in our area and many places also have good conditions for alternative renewable energy sources. Measures for climate-smart energy access and a balanced and sustainable living environment are thus crucial for the development area’s future.” Says it all! The project addresses both environmental issues, entrepreneurship and also using those issues in developing there visitors center. There are many different ways the ideas can be transferred to other LAGs and the project has already developed materials and can hold courses and trainings on site in Ödevata and are completely open to sharing their knowledge with others. – So anyone who wants to collaborate, just get in touch via sydostleader.se or directly to Ödevata https://www.odevatagardshotell.se/en/contact/ and you will be provided with material which is produced in English. Some material enclosed.

Pictures

Youtube. Subtitle are changeable into english. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C10NweT20oQ

APPENDIX Report: Ödevata Biochar Project – A Success Story for Sustainability and Innovation 2018-06-21 and 2020-06-26 Project Results: We are pleased to announce that the Ödevata Biochar Project has been an incredible success in every imaginable way. After two years of dedicated work and devotion, the project has yielded a range of impressive results:

● The machines are built, functioning, and actively used on the farm and during visits and events.

● Ödevata has become a highly innovative and exciting meeting place for biochar, transition, and innovative sustainable entrepreneurship.

● Ödevata has evolved into a model for sustainable tourism and is sought after for study visits.

● The project sequesters significant amounts of carbon dioxide on the farm through its biochar production, with a potential sequestration period of 1000 years. The goal is to sequester 120 tons of carbon dioxide annually, and we are well on our way to achieving this.

● A social enterprise has been established to produce garden-friendly biochar. This is a direct result of the biochar project and a collaboration with Växjö diocese.

● Through collaboration with neighbors and community cooperation, homemade biochar has been produced instead of being solely burned, spreading knowledge about biochar and its value.

● Veg Tech, a company, cultivated its first green roof, a sedum roof, as a test using Ödevata’s biochar. This success story has been featured in newspaper reports. Ödevata has the world’s first sedum roof with biochar in the growing substrate in the world on one of its facility’s roofs.

● The biochar project has received extensive media coverage with several newspaper articles spreading knowledge about biochar and its potential.

● Annually, Ödevata has hosted 10 paying study visits to the farm due to the high interest in the innovative biochar project.

● Through volunteer work, you have reached approximately 1500 tourists annually, inspired them, and shared knowledge about biochar.

● You have also engaged 300 schoolchildren in biochar production and use during the project.

● During the project, you have identified valuable applications for biochar, including its use as a filtration system in an aquaponics setup.

● Several researchers from institutions such as Linnaeus University and the Department of Marine Sciences in Gothenburg have shown interest in biochar, although no research project has been initiated yet.

● The company Bioenergy visited Ödevata and has now sold and installed a biochar furnace on a farm outside Stockholm with the knowledge contributed by the project.

● You have delivered biochar to a self-sufficient farm for evaluation, and they now serve as ambassadors for biochar.

● Biochar has undergone analysis and proven to be fantastic for water purification, leading to research projects in collaboration with SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) and a wastewater contractor.

● Interest in biochar is steadily increasing, and Ödevata has played a significant role in spreading knowledge about this sustainable material.

● The County Administrative Board of Kalmar County has visited and initiated their own biochar projects as a result of your efforts.

● You have collaborated closely with the organization and association REFARM Linne, and the collaboration has been strengthened through the biochar project.

● The target audience has expanded significantly and now includes a broader audience, from tourists to businesses, municipalities, and organizations. Project Establishment: The project has been established by sharing knowledge with visitors, tourists, and partners, as well as by inspiring and engaging people in sustainability issues. You have also collaborated with various organizations and stakeholders to achieve the project’s purpose and goals, which has been crucial for the project’s success. Intended Target Audience: The project’s intended target audience included tourists in the local area, in Sweden, and in northern Europe, who are interested in transition and sustainability. Additionally, businesses, municipalities, and organizations in the local area. Other Beneficial Target Audiences: Through extensive media coverage and knowledge dissemination, you have reached target audiences that you may not have initially expected. The project has also succeeded in engaging and inspiring a broad audience, including people of different ages and backgrounds. Project Future: It is evident that the Ödevata Biochar Project has achieved its goals and delivered fantastic results for a more sustainable world. The project’s successes are likely to continue, and you have the potential to reach even more target audiences in the future, including farmers, fish farmers, and large heat plants. Your efforts to spread knowledge about biochar and sustainability have laid the foundation for a more sustainable and conscious future. In summary, Ödevata Biochar Project has become an exciting success story that demonstrates how dedication and innovation can positively change the world. The project has not only achieved its goals but has also inspired and engaged a broad audience and partners, and its future looks promising. Continue to spread knowledge about biochar. Other Partners We Collaborated With to Achieve the Project’s Purpose and Goals: Veg Tech AB Refarm Linné Sjöborgen Spetsamåla Gård Markus Vallien Anders Ljungberg Hustech, Jim Johansson Växjö Stift, Äppelkärnan Hemma på Hult Does Ödevata Biochar project continue after the project period ends? 2020-07-01 – 2023-10-31 During the period from June 2020 to October 2023, the time after the project’s conclusion has been a continuous and exciting journey. Our passion for biochar has not only persisted but has also grown in tandem with our knowledge and network. We have continued our mission to spread knowledge about biochar, and its strength has not diminished. Digital Audio File for Easier Dissemination: We have also taken innovative steps, including the creation of a digital audio file that can guide visitors at Ödevata when we cannot be there personally to guide them through our biochar project. Visits and Conferences with a Biochar Theme: We still have an open heart and an open farm for interested visitors who want to learn about biochar production and usage. Interest in biochar has continued to grow, and the demand to visit Ödevata to gain knowledge and inspiration has not waned. We continue to offer study visits, courses, and inspiration meetings.

Interestingly, some conference bookings have focused on Ödevata precisely because of our exciting biochar project. The opportunity to see and experience our biochar production has been the driving force. Biochar Valborg: Biochar Valborg, an event with a strong drive to make a difference, is a project that we have initiated in collaboration with our network, Go Nature Trip. Our vision, although ambitious, is within reach. We want to transform all Walpurgis bonfires in Sweden and perhaps even abroad into biochar bonfires. Biochar Valborg has already been celebrated live in Ödevata for three years and has also reached a digital audience of about 300 people. Additionally, we have invited others to conduct Biochar Valborg at their own locations and together stream our biochar bonfires. We are already planning for Biochar Valborg 2024, which will be live-streamed from a completely different location, and we hope for even more biochar bonfires. Would you like to join and share your fire? Biochar Valborg is now spreading beyond Sweden: Biochar Valborg has now expanded to Biochar Samhain in the autumn. This is a result of our collaboration with the artists Nina Bacos and Anna Bokström, who have now brought Ödevata’s biochar project to Scotland and Italy. They had previously collaborated with us in Bergkvara and conducted a biochar event at Bergkvara Konsthall. We have maintained contact, and together, we celebrated the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain on October 31. It was an online event in collaboration with Grow food Dunoon, Bullwood Nature Trail in Scotland, Diö Konsthall, and Ödevata. The event included our biochar bonfires and a Scottish performance about the battle between the Summer King and Winter King. Through this collaboration, we have shared our knowledge about biochar even further. Ödevata lends out Biochar Barrels/Kon-Tikis for free: We have also lent out our biochar barrels, or Kon-Tikis, for free to other enthusiasts during these three and a half years. Our condition has been that those who borrow them not only use them themselves but also invite neighbors, friends, and other groups to collectively produce biochar and learn more about it. This simple concept has been very successful and has led to meaningful conversations about biochar and sustainability. In Sweden, there are many Biochar Ambassadors and producers: Here is a list of individuals and groups we have been in contact with. Those from whom we have learned, been inspired by, loaned our FREE KON-TIKI to, and/or sold a KON-TIKI to, or who have encountered biochar for the first time through us and have become ambassadors for biochar, helping to spread the knowledge further: Veg Tech AB Örebro bostäder Go Nature Trip Allégården Kastlösa Lisegården Gullabo Holma Folkhögskola Allégården Kastlösa Möllekulla Länsmansgård Marie och Michael Johansson, Stolpabäck Karin och Karolina, Rörshult Care – växtkraft i generationer, Emmaboda Borrabo Gård Kalmar Energi Mattias Gustafsson, EcoTopic AB Skogens Kraft Ellen Nystedt Michelle Södermann Nina Bacos och Anna Bokström Projekt: Wellbeing tourism Naturskyddsföreningen Voxtorps Gården Refarm Linné Sjöborgen Spetsamåla Gård Markus Vallien Anders Ljungberg Hustech, Jim Johansson Växjö Stift, Äppelkärnan Hemma på Hult Våneviks gård JME Bygg Ab,Anna Svarvar, finland Granefors Energi AB Sjöborgen Arne Rasmus Vikner, Stockholms skärgård Kalmar Södra koloniförening Lena Sjöberg, nätverk Mörtfors Skogslunds trädgård och bigårdar Ställdalens byalag Folkets Trädgård Möllekulla Länsmansgård Mölndals kommun Ölands folkhögskola Eva Zwahlen, Emmaboda Jörgen Eklund, Katrineholm Anders Sandkvist, Göteborg Niklas Kronkvist, Bottnansmåla Gård, Holmsjö Börsryd lantbruk, Nybro Jörgen Olssons Lantbruksföretag, Vistagris Skärva gård Mundekulla Skogslyckan HB Ekenäs Gård Kimberly Melkersson Stockamöllan By Eva Oscarsson, Mölndals villakvarter Iwona Slojka, Cross Baltica Michael Li, Digital hjälp och ambassadör för Biokol Valborg HUSHÅLLNINGSSÄLLSKAPET KALMAR-KRONOBERG-BLEKINGE Mittlandsgården Aspö by föreningen Växjö stift, Startade en ekonomisk förening som producerade biokol åt kund Kosters Trädgårdar Skogsbönder i Gullabo Nätverk kvinnliga självhushållare Emma Svensson, Bungemåla Vissefjärda Markus Vallin Halbe Rinsma, Eriksmåla Emma Axelsson, Emmaboda Eva och Andreas Garami, Långasjö Johanna Nanni Söderberg, Refarm Linne Länsstyrelsen i Kalmar län Linne universitetet Alvesta Kommun Several are now biochar producers themselves All of the above have become biochar ambassadors and are helping to spread knowledge about biochar within their networks. Some are solely interested in biochar, while others have started using it in various ways in their locations or communities. Many of them have even become biochar producers and conduct courses and training to further disseminate knowledge. More Highlights We have also had several highlights during this period, including training and courses held by Markus Vallin at Ekoby in Lund and at Holma Folk High School in Höör. Våneviks Gård, which, this autumn, hosted a training day for FOBO in Eksjö. Refarm Linne, which has started and operated its own biochar projects after visiting us. The County Administrative Board of Kalmar has also initiated several biochar projects after receiving training from us. Linnaeus University has been inspired by our project and has seen the practical potential of biochar. The university is now conducting several biochar studies. Biochar is here to participate in saving the world In summary, biochar is an exciting and powerful concept with the potential to have a positive impact on the environment and society. We are confident that more countries and cultures can benefit from biochar and transform their traditional bonfires into sustainable events. This is what we will work towards. Would you like to help

Hans Magnus Axelsson – enskild firma

SydostLeader, Storgatan 4, S-361 30 EMMABODA info@sydostleader.se

Sweden