> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thechocolatelife.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Cocoa, Carbon Capture, & Biochar | #PodSaveChocolate - URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/cocoa-carbon-capture-podsavechocolate/ - Published: 2024-05-30T19:14:55.000Z - Updated: 2024-06-03T00:40:00.000Z - Description: Episode 47 of #PodSaveChocolate features a discussion of carbon capture, sequestration, biochar, and upcycling in the cocoa sector. - Author: Clay Gordon - Tags: PodSaveChocolate, Live Stream **When and Where to Watch** 🗓️ This episode airs live, starting at 10:00 AM ****PDT**/****MST** (11:00 MDT, 12:00 CDT, 13:00 EDT), on Friday, May 31st, 2024\. You can click any of the links below to watch the episode LIVE ***or** the archived episode. The archive on YouTube will include the comments from LinkedIn and FB in the live chat replay. [Cocoa & Carbon Capture | #PodSaveChocolateEpisode 47 OverviewThe inspiration for this episode was a story that appeared in both Confectionery News and Food Navigator (by the same author – both are pu…![](https://www.youtube.com/s/desktop/77a9f706/img/favicon_144x144.png)YouTube![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cBKFTvgifCo/maxresdefault_live.jpg)](https://youtube.com/live/cBKFTvgifCo?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Click to watch on YouTube in a new tab or window. Please subscribe (free!) to the [@PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@podsavechocolate/featured?ref=thechocolatelife.com), like this video, comment, and share to help grow the #PSC community. Link to [watch and comment](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Flavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-biochar-activity-7202023891794370562-e6n4?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop) on LinkedIn. Link to [watch and comment](https://www.facebook.com/TheChocolateLife/) on TheChocolateLife page on Facebook. Join the conversation LIVE in the chat on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook! --- ## **Episode 47 Overview** The inspiration for this episode was the following news announcement: [How scientists created a chocolate bar out of thin airIt sounds like science fiction, but one biotech start-up has begun to transform industrial emissions into confectionery ingredients such as cocoa butter. Here’s how![](https://www.confectionerynews.com/bundles/wrbmgbsite/images/favicon/confectionerynews/apple-touch-icon-180x180.png)confectionerynews.comNatasha Spencer-Jolliffe![](https://www.confectionerynews.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/food-beverage-nutrition/confectionerynews.com/article/2024/05/23/microbes-create-sustainable-chocolate-fat/17452541-2-eng-GB/Microbes-Create-Sustainable-Chocolate-Fat.jpg)](https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2024/05/23/Microbes-Create-Sustainable-Chocolate-Fat?ref=thechocolatelife.com) As with most articles that appear in CN, there are no links to primary sources – in this case, most probably a press release from [Circe Bioscience](https://www.circebioscience.com/?ref=thechocolatelife.com). This same article appeared in the sister publication [Food Navigator](https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2024/05/23/microbes-create-sustainable-chocolate-fat?ref=thechocolatelife.com). [This is a DuckDuckGo search on “Circe Bioscience” filtered to show only news](https://duckduckgo.com/?va=e&t=ha&q=circe+bioscience&iar=news&ia=news&ref=thechocolatelife.com). You can use this link to find stories related to this one. 💡 Clarification: Circe Bioscience did not invent this technology. It is commercializing tech licensed from a Harvard lab. Stories like the one above excite, infuriate, and depress me at the same time. Stories like this **excite** me because they mention some potentially very interesting technology. Stories like this **infuriate** me because of how loose they are in their use of language. The standards of identity for cacao products in CFR 21.163 are pretty clear about what can, and cannot, be in chocolate for it to be labeled as chocolate. So, for the editors at CN to use terms like “chocolate” and “cocoa butter” so cavalierly makes me angry. As professionals in this industry, they should know better. Stories like this **depress** me because I am constantly asking myself, “Why cocoa? Why chocolate?” It is on this last point that I am going to focus much of my attention during this episode. ### **Carbon Capture Primer** There are two different aspects of carbon capture we are going to consider in this episode: capturing atmospheric carbon (carbon dioxide, CO2) and then storing or sequestering it so that it does not easily or quickly (or ever) return to the environment. Because humans have widely deforested the planet along with other practices that have increased CO2 and other greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere, many carbon capture technologies have been developed, including adsorption, membrane separation, and chemical looping. > Once captured, the CO2 must either be stored somewhere or used. Storage methods include compressing the CO2 and pumping it into underground caverns and rock formations. CO2 can also be used as a feedstock for industrial processes in the manufacture of graphene, and, as the article mentions, triglycerides (fats). Capturing atmospheric CO2 and sequestering it is something that plants do, naturally. Leaves remove CO2 from the atmosphere and the tree converts the CO2, incorporating it into the mass of the plant – wood is one good example. The CO2 will remain unavailable to the environment until the plant dies and starts to decompose or burns. > In cocoa, flushing leaves are more efficient at capturing atmospheric CO2 for use. What this means is that pruning schedules affect the ability of the tree to remove CO2 from the air. [Carbon capture and storage - Wikipedia![](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png)Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Contributors to Wikimedia projects![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/20210413_Carbon_capture_and_storage_-_CCS_-_proposed_vs_implemented.svg/1200px-20210413_Carbon_capture_and_storage_-_CCS_-_proposed_vs_implemented.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon%5Fcapture%5Fand%5Fstorage?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [Carbon sequestration - Wikipedia![](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/apple-touch/wikipedia.png)Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Contributors to Wikimedia projects![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Carbon_sequestration-2009-10-07.svg/1200px-Carbon_sequestration-2009-10-07.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon%5Fsequestration?ref=thechocolatelife.com) It is possible to burn plant matter to produce charcoal under controlled conditions – pyrolisis – to produce what is called biochar. (The gases produced during this process, sometimes referred to as producer gas, can be captured, filtered, compressed, and used to produce electricity). Biochar has broad applications in agriculture as a soil amendment. In addition to directly sequestering carbon in the soil, biochar can improve soil health as well as remediate cadmium-rich soils as the cadmium will selectively be absorbed by the biochar rather than through the root system of the tree. > The feedstock used and the size of the granules both affect the efficacy of the biochar. [Biochar Science and Opinion Arb Magazine May 2014A short primer on biochar.Biochar Science and Opinion Arb Magazine May 2014.pdf466 KBdownload-circle](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/files/2024/05/Biochar-Science-and-Opinion-Arb-Magazine-May-2014.pdf "Download") [Belize case study FINALUsing biochar in cacao in Belize (courtesy Craig Sams).Belize case study FINAL.pdf1 MBdownload-circle](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/files/2024/05/Belize-case-study-FINAL.pdf "Download") --- ### More Biochar Production Resources **Large-Scale Biochar/Gasifier** [ARB | Home![](https://advancedresilientbiocarbon.com/img/favicon.ico)View Sustainable Business Sustainable Business![](https://advancedresilientbiocarbon.com/img/ARB_Banner.png)](https://advancedresilientbiocarbon.com/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) **Community-Scale Biochar/Gasifier** [BioCharWest Biofuels offers a community-scale modular biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP) system designed to convert biomass residues to renewable electricity and heat. West Biofuels has aggregated and refined proven commercial technologies to create a robust and scalable configuration that can meet energy needs ranging from 0.5MW and above.![](https://assets-global.website-files.com/5bd88ea13bd618db69e5f12f/5bd88ea13bd6187782e5f145_favicon.png)![](https://assets-global.website-files.com/5bd88ea13bd618db69e5f12f/5bdc8dfaa5b9311e0711ba18_RG.png)](https://www.westbiofuels.com/biochar?ref=thechocolatelife.com) **Farm-Scale Biochar Production** [Choosing a biochar reactor to meet your needs – Biochar for Sustainable Soils![](https://s0.wp.com/i/webclip.png)![](https://biochar.international/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/BRN_001.png)](https://biochar.international/guides/biochar-reactor-to-meet-needs/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) **Home Gardening** [HomeDiscover the benefits of Biochar for your business or garden. ✓ 100% Organic ✓ Peat-Free ✓ Fast Delivery ✓ Scientifically Proven![](https://www.carbongold.com/apple-touch-icon.png)Carbon Gold![](https://www.carbongold.com/app/uploads/2024/01/Cornwall-Council.png)](https://www.carbongold.com/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Carbon Gold is located in the UK. --- ### **Questions?** If you have questions, you can ask them live during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can ask them in the Comments below at any time. --- ### **Episode Hashtags and Related Accounts to Follow** #biochar #carboncapture #co2 #cocoa #cacao #cacau #chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate #PodSaveChocolate #PodSaveChoc #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife --- ### **Future Episodes** 🗓️ The guest for the Friday, June 7th episode of PodSaveChocolate will be Joan Coukos, Founder of **Chocolat Moderne*, located in NYC. There will also be a tasting experience in this episode! --- ### **#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives** **To read an archived post** and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards, below. [Pod Save Chocolate Calendar and ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate!![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/11/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080-5.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/pod-save-chocolate-calendar-and-archive/) [#TheChocolateLifeLIVE ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/03/solen-feyissa-WG7v_wYZW4Q-unsplash-CalendarFeatured1920x1080.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/thechocolatelife-live-calendar/) ## Not a Member? Live The Chocolate Life – Live La Vida Cocoa! Sign up for Free to comment and receive members-only content. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Premium subscriptions available. ---