Portfolio Spotlight: Flux - Scaling Carbon Removal and Fighting Poverty in Africa
This series highlights the companies Carbon Drawdown Initiative has invested in.
First Stop: Nairobi, Kenya
Based in Nairobi, Flux operates on a simple mission: use proven science to reduce carbon in the atmosphere and improve the livelihoods of Kenyan farmers in the process. Their pioneering work could shape climate science as we know it and revolutionize the entire region. The team at Flux is dedicated to the development of a thriving carbon removal ecosystem in a country ideally suited to it.
Most of the soils in Kenya, especially farmland, have been heavily depleted of vital nutrients due to intense soil erosion and limited access to fertilizer. This makes the science of rock weathering—and the adaptive science of enhanced weathering—more effective than in other areas.
Plus, most farmers own little land, with many farming a single hectare. This provides enough for them to feed their families and make a small profit, though typically below a few hundred USD. The opportunity to increase yields—and therefore profits—by as much as 71% provides a truly lifechanging opportunity for a farmer. Flux understands the value of both elements in play, and structures their work to maximize the potential of western Kenya.
The Basics of EW
The driving science behind Flux’s work is observable without human influence. In perhaps the most effective way of reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, rocks react with carbon dioxide dissolved in rainwater, which traps carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and transforms the carbon into a stable compound called a bicarbonate.
From there, the bicarbonates enter the soil and the captured carbon dioxide cannot reenter the atmosphere. The groundwater carries the bicarbonates to rivers, streams, and eventually oceans. The carbon eventually settles to the seafloor, permanently trapping the carbon.
It’s an entirely natural process. There’s just one problem: it takes thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of years. At the current rate of climate change, it’s wildly insufficient to solve the problem.
Yet Flux intervenes in the process to speed up weathering, creating Enhanced Weathering (EW). By crushing silicate rocks to a powder, the rocks have more surface area and therefore allow bicarbonates to form more quickly. The next step is to spread the crushed rock powder on soil—especially farm fields.
The acidic and moist topsoil is an ideal environment for EW as it accelerates the chemical process. In addition to removing carbon, the rock powder also increases the soil pH and releases nutrients into the soil. This is the magic of what Flux does. It’s a true win-win scenario.
Farmers get the benefit of more pH-balanced and nutrient-dense soil, which in turn produces higher yields and greater profits. The team at Flux are able to capture more carbon, increasing the number of available Carbon Credits with which further scaling and research development can be funded
The Economics of Carbon Credits
Flux, and many carbon removal companies, rely on the sale of carbon credits to fund ongoing work. Each Carbon Credit represents a tonne of CO2 removed through the atmosphere. Soil and water samples verify the amount of captured carbon, and the results are independently verified by rigorous third-party verification bodies.
Companies with massive carbon footprints (like Google, Klarna, Shopify, and Stripe) commit to a goal of net zero emissions by 2050, achieved through a two-pronged approach. First, they must work to reduce current carbon emissions as much as possible. Second, and more practically, they order Carbon Credits to offset tonnes of carbon emissions produced.
The operational team at Flux calculates the necessary amount of silicate dust required to achieve a specific amount of trapped CO2, then the team goes into the field. After spreading the rock dust and measuring the weathering signal (and any emissions added during the process), the team can calculate the net amount of carbon tonnage removed. Third-party verification bodies then verify the data according to their Enhanced Weathering Protocol and issue Carbon Credits.
Credits get transferred to the purchasing company, which can then use them to prove their sustainability progress. The credits remain traceable on the registry to ensure they are never applied to more than one buyer.
While there is still much to learn, advances in the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) necessary for carbon removal have significantly improved our understanding of ERW over the past years. Flux champions high-integrity carbon removal that adheres to five core principles:
Additionality—all the carbon removed must be additional to what would have naturally occurred
Permanence—the carbon must be removed for at least 1,000 years (ideally 10,000+)
Robust quantification—data must be substantiated by as many data points as possible
Transparency—measurement methods must meet peer review and appear in public disclosures
Sustainable development—affected communities must be included in the decision making and economic benefits of the projects
The final point drives the twin heart of Flux’s mission. More than improving our climate, the goal is to improve the lives of families and lift their communities out of poverty.
Flux’s Social Impact
By 2030, Flux aims to generate $300+ million in additional income for African farmers. The number seems impossible, yet better harvests can deliver such tremendous results. By adding powdered rock to soil, the nutrient benefit improves plant health and growth, boosting yields and farmers’ income.
This added benefit of EW at large scale doesn’t work everywhere. It’s part of what makes Kenya uniquely situated for dramatic benefit. Under present conditions—acidic, degraded soil and irregular rainfall—even ideal seasons produced limited yields. While chemical fertilizers are readily available, they often remain out of financial reach for poorer farmers.
Side-by-side experiments show the dramatic benefits of the EW experiments on plant growth. Plants in the revitalized soil grow faster and stronger, making them better able to withstand harsh weather and increasing total yields.
The science behind the obvious benefits work as a side effect to EW. The alkaline minerals that make Flux’s rock powder so effective for EW do more than trap carbon dioxide. They balance the soil’s pH levels and provide essential nutrients, improving the growing conditions for farmers. The best part? Flux offers it to farmers for free.
Thanks to the sale of Carbon Credits, Flux is able to pay for the EW deployments without relying on additional income from farmers. For family farms, the increased yields mean more food on the table. For small agribusinesses, improved yields elevate production to a scalable level, giving them opportunities to invest in better grain, fertilizers, and tools.
With so much farmland yet untreated, the community benefit potential is almost impossible to quantify. Flux intends to continue transforming rural communities. The effects on plant growth demonstrate the visible benefits of the team’s work and fuel the mission. Additional fields create additional Carbon Credits, allowing everyone involved to benefit.
To read more about the work being done, visit: www.fluxcarbon.earth/