Bridging Science and Agriculture - with Dries Roobroeck

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Carbon Conversations

Carbon Conversartions

32 episodes

2 weeks ago

Welcome to Carbon Conversations, a podcast by Biochar.Life. We engage not only with experts pioneering innovative environmental solutions but also with business leaders championing sustainability in their sectors. From the intricacies of biochar and renewable energy to the broader scopes of smart agriculture, we aim to shed light on the multifaceted approaches to addressing our planet's pressing challenges. Our mission is not just to inform but to inspire and empower you, our listeners, to make informed decisions and impactful changes. Subscribe and be a part of this essential conversations!

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Bridging Science and Agriculture - with Dries Roobroeck

Carbon Conversations

56 minutes 34 seconds

1 year ago

Bridging Science and Agriculture - with Dries Roobroeck

Dries Roobroeck's journey in applied biosciences began with a neighbourhood clean-up he organized as a 10-year-old and deepened when he observed his great uncle's selfless work with rural communities in India at the age of 15. He pursued biological sciences at university, fascinated by the broad range of topics, particularly how nature works. His PhD focused on the cycling of carbon and nitrogen between soil, plants, and the atmosphere in Poland's undisturbed peatlands, giving him profound insights into biogeochemical processes, greenhouse gas emissions, and laboratory and data analytics.

After completing his PhD, Dries had the privilege of conducting a postdoctoral study with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, researching the occurrence and causes of non-responsiveness of crops to synthetic fertilizers in Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, and Nigeria. This work highlighted the pervasive issues of nutrient input inefficiency and soil fertility degradation that trap many small-scale farmers in poverty. Concurrently, he became increasingly involved in research on biochar agronomy and pyrolytic technology, including long-term experimentation, participatory evaluation, upscaled assessment, and system engineering.

Seeing an opportunity for science to solve many of today's complex problems, Dries, along with Aarti Shah, started Co-REGEN to advise agribusinesses on becoming circular and regenerative. They coach these businesses on adopting more reliable power, low carbon heat, and nature-based solutions to improve farming and processing, aiming to enhance their movement up the agricultural value chain while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Since late 2022, Dries has been working with PennState University's program PlantVillage, where he has had the opportunity to translate scientific research and ideas into practical applications.

Further viewing/reading:

Video of PlantVillage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huqLMHRNIVA

Video from feasibility in tea sector https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcq_Gf1ES_0

LinkedIN www.linkedin.com/in/driesroobroeck

Contact: Email d.roobroeck@cgiar.org