30-day notice: HUSK and DFCD

This project snapshot presents an overview of HUSK, a mission‑driven agri‑tech company founded in Cambodia in 2019 and now expanding into Vietnam. HUSK specialises in regenerative agriculture and soil restoration through the production of biochar‑based, crop‑specific fertilisers. The company transforms agricultural waste, primarily rice husks, using a pyrolysis process that produces biochar while sequestering carbon. HUSK’s overarching goal is to support smallholder farmers across Southeast Asia to adopt climate‑resilient, regenerative, and profitable agricultural practices.

Operating through a B2B2C model, the company distributes its fertilisers via farmer cooperatives, retail distributors, and agricultural companies, ensuring that climate‑smart products reach smallholders. Their fertilisers address widespread soil challenges in the region, including nutrient depletion, compaction, salinity, and declining soil fertility—issues expected to intensify as climate change accelerates. HUSK currently operates two pyrolysis units in Cambodia, and DFCD Origination Facility support is helping the company raise investment and launch its first factory in Vietnam.

Cambodia and Vietnam both face escalating climate risks that threaten agricultural productivity, soil health, and rural livelihoods. Erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged dry seasons, and declining soil quality create a negative feedback cycle that reduces resilience and increases farmer vulnerability. HUSK’s regenerative fertiliser solutions break this cycle by improving soil structure, water retention, nutrient uptake, and long‑term soil vitality. This aligns strongly with SNV’s mission to build climate‑resilient, inclusive agricultural systems and enhance rural incomes for smallholder farmers.