How can soils regain and increase their carbon content?

In regenerative systems, soils can not only stop carbon losses – they can rebuild stable soil carbon. The difference lies in how biomass is managed and how the soil's biology is activated.

Conventional cultivation system

• Biomass is often removed or breaks down quickly
• Mineral fertilization without carbon addition
• Limited root biomass and low diversity
• Microbial activity often leads to net loss of soil carbon
• Typical effect:    0 to –1 ton CO₂/ha/year (no sequestration, often loss)

Hasta Eco's regenerative ecosystems

Hasta Eco's system is designed to retain, convert, and stabilize biomass, not lose it.

Key mechanisms:

• Field composting & biological conversion
  
  • Crop residues are treated directly in the field using microbial processes
  • Carbon chains are broken down into stable sugar and humic structures instead of being released as CO₂ or methane
• Full return of residual biomass
  
  • Approximately 40% of the harvest not used for human consumption is biologically returned
  • No "waste fraction" – everything becomes a resource
• Active microbiome (bacteria + fungi)
  
  • Stimulation of mycorrhizae and microbial biomass
  • More carbon is bound as stable soil carbon in soil aggregates
• Root-driven carbon sequestration
  
  • Intercropping provides continuous carbon supply via root exudates
  • Carbon is bound where it is most long-lived: in the soil profile
• Stabilization via fermentation & BioConverse
  
  • Reduced nitrogen and carbon losses
  • Increased C/N balance → long-term carbon stability

Documented and conservative effect:

• +2.0 to +3.5 tons CO₂/ha/year
• Hasta Eco communicates 2.5 tons CO₂/ha/year as:
  • conservative
  • repeatable
  • biologically justified

Summary comparison

System

Net carbon effect

Conventional

–1 to 0 tons CO₂/ha/year

Regenerative (without full circularity)

+1–2 tons CO₂/ha/year

Hasta Eco (circular & biologically stabilized)

+2.5 tons CO₂/ha/year

Important principle

Hasta Eco's system uses biological processes to reduce losses, not to inflate figures. Carbon is bound where it stays.

References & research support

• Lal, R. (2004). Soil carbon sequestration. Science
• Paustian et al. (2016). Climate-smart soils. Nature
• Six et al. (2002). Stabilization of soil organic matter.
• Rodale Institute – long-term regenerative trials
• SLU – long-term Swedish soil experiments (Ultuna, Lanna)

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