How 2 Friends Are Using AI to Help 200+ Farmers Make Money From Leftover Crop Waste

Abhimanyu Rathi and Yogendra Panchal founded RenewCred to help prove that agricultural waste can deliver measurable climate benefits. This matters because farmers often burn or discard leftover stalks, leaves and biomass, while verified climate projects can create carbon credits and additional income.

RenewCred places IoT sensors around the pyrolysis process. The sensors track biomass weight, temperature and pressure as crop residue is heated in a low-oxygen environment and converted into biochar. AI and machine learning study these readings, calculate the climate impact and flag anomalies for review.

The system does not issue credits by itself. An independent third-party verifier reviews each project, while a blockchain-enabled registry records credits and helps prevent double counting. RenewCred currently engages 200–220 farmers and estimates successful projects could provide each farmer Rs 30,000–45,000 annually.

RenewCred currently works with 200–220 farmers. Its estimated additional income is Rs 30,000–45,000 per farmer each year, but the article describes this as a potential earning from successful projects, not a guaranteed payment.

The opportunity begins with residue from crops such as banana, sugarcane and maize. Instead of burning or discarding stalks, leaves and other biomass, farmers can send it through pyrolysis. The process creates biochar and can form part of a carbon project. Technology measures the process so its climate benefits can be assessed.

Carbon credits are issued only after an independent third-party verifier reviews the project. RenewCred expects its wider ecosystem to generate about 100,000 carbon credits in the current financial year. Each credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent reduced or prevented, linking measured climate outcomes with possible farmer income.

Pyrolysis is the process of heating biomass in a low-oxygen environment. For farmers, the biomass can include banana, sugarcane and maize stalks, leaves and other residue left after harvesting. The low-oxygen treatment converts this leftover material into biochar.

Biochar is a carbon-rich material that can be added to soil. Rather than treating residue only as waste, farmers can use this material as part of a carbon project. The process also avoids the need to burn residue simply to clear fields for the next crop.

When mixed with soil, biochar can help improve soil structure, retain moisture and increase nutrient availability. This gives the conversion a double purpose: it can support farm conditions while contributing to a measured climate project. RenewCred’s systems help track the process so its claimed benefits can be checked before credits are issued.

RenewCred uses IoT sensors to capture measurements during pyrolysis. The article identifies biomass weight, temperature and pressure as key parameters. These readings create a record of what enters the process and how the treatment operates.

AI and machine learning analyse the sensor data. They use it to calculate the project’s climate impact and identify anomalies. This matters because carbon credits depend on showing that a claimed reduction or prevention of emissions is supported by evidence, rather than relying only on an unverified estimate.

The technology is one part of a wider verification system. An independent third-party verifier reviews the project before credits are issued. Afterward, a blockchain-enabled registry keeps a transparent record and helps prevent double counting. RenewCred has brought together 93 scientists across six countries to develop methodologies, verification frameworks, algorithms and digital systems for measuring climate outcomes.

An independent third-party verifier reviews a project before carbon credits are issued. The review matters because a credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent reduced or prevented. Projects therefore need evidence that their claimed climate outcome has actually been measured and assessed.

For crop residue projects, RenewCred’s sensors record biomass weight, temperature and pressure during pyrolysis. AI and machine learning analyse the data, calculate climate impact and flag anomalies. The verifier can review this project information before deciding whether the claimed results meet the project’s framework.

The process adds an external check to RenewCred’s technology. After credits are issued, a blockchain-enabled registry maintains a transparent record and helps prevent double counting. Together, measurement, independent review and registry records aim to connect farmer income with climate outcomes that can be documented, rather than with waste conversion alone.

Burning crop residue can add to air pollution and release carbon. Converting it into biochar offers a different route: the biomass is processed through pyrolysis instead of being burned or discarded. This turns a field-clearance problem into material that can support a carbon project.

The resulting biochar can be added to soil. According to the article, it can improve soil structure, help retain moisture and increase nutrient availability. These effects can benefit the fields where farmers grow crops such as banana, sugarcane and maize, although the article does not quantify the improvement for any individual farm.

The climate benefit may also create income. RenewCred estimates that farmers could earn Rs 30,000–45,000 a year through successful projects. The income is linked to verified carbon credits, not simply to making biochar. Projects must be measured, independently reviewed and recorded before credits are issued.

A carbon credit is a unit representing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent reduced or prevented. In this project, crop residue can be converted into biochar rather than burned or discarded, and the resulting climate benefit can be measured as part of a carbon project.

A carbon market gives that measured outcome a financial value by allowing verified credits to be issued and used within carbon-market activity. The article connects this process to possible additional income for farmers. RenewCred estimates successful projects could provide Rs 30,000–45,000 per farmer each year.

The value depends on credible measurement. IoT sensors track the pyrolysis process, while AI and machine learning calculate climate impact and flag anomalies. An independent verifier reviews the project before issuance. A blockchain-enabled registry then records credits transparently and helps prevent double counting. RenewCred expects its ecosystem to generate about 100,000 credits in the current financial year.