Mati Carbon, winner of $50million XPRIZE, has been helping smallholder farmers leading fight against climate change

Mati Carbon, an Indian-led climate initiative has secured the $50 million grand prize in the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, outshining over 1,300 teams from 112 countries. Their model seems simple, but is quite complex.

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Mati Carbon uses an Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) model, which captures carbon dioxide (CO2) while boosting crop yields for smallholder farmers. This offers a rare synergy of environmental and social impact.Mati operates in India, Tanzania, and Zambia, and has partnered with over 16,000 farmers since 2022. They aim to reach 30,000 by year-end, with a bold vision to impact 100 million by 2045. As India grapples with climate-induced agricultural stress and a nascent carbon market, scaling this solution faces formidable hurdles.In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express, Shantanu Agarwal, Mati Carbon’s founder and CEO, and Jake Jordan, chief science officer, outlined their mission. “This XPRIZE win validates our science and commitment to smallholder farmers who bear the brunt of climate change,” Agarwal said. “But scaling in India, with its fragmented landholdings and uneven infrastructure, is a massive challenge.”

How enhanced rock weathering worksMati's ERW process involves spreading pulverised basalt—a volcanic rock—on farmlands, accelerating a natural weathering process that captures atmospheric CO2 and stores it as bicarbonate in groundwater and oceans for over 10,000 years. “The process forms a weak acid from rainwater and CO2, breaking down the rock faster than natural weathering,” Jordan explained. “It's like dissolving powdered sugar versus a sugar cube."The basalt also releases nutrients, enhances soil fertility and results in healthier crops and better yield. The rigorous Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) framework, developed with IIT Kanpur, Yale University, and the University of Sheffield, ensures precise carbon quantification, earning trust from buyers like Shopify, Stripe, and H&M.