Revolutionizing Agriculture: How Startups are Turning Rock Dust into a Carbon-Absorbing Powerhouse

Agriculture's Carbon Footprint

Agriculture accounts for over 10% of global carbon emissions, as reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, innovative startups are emerging with solutions that leverage nature to combat this challenge.

Enhanced Rock Weathering

Farmers have traditionally used crushed lime to improve soil quality. Now, companies like Lithos, UNDO Carbon, and Eion are exploring carbon-absorbing rocks that not only enhance soil but also remove carbon from the atmosphere through a method known as enhanced rock weathering.

Eion's Approach

Eion utilizes olivine, a volcanic rock, which is ground into a fine dust. According to CEO Anastasia Pavlovic, "We apply a rock dust onto farms, and that helps farmers condition the soil or make the soil better for improvements. Then over time, that manages to secure and sequester carbon, permanently removing it from the atmosphere."

The Benefits of Olivine

Olivine not only improves soil similarly to lime but also undergoes a chemical process when it rains, allowing it to absorb carbon dioxide permanently. Pavlovic states that by 2030, Eion aims to remove the equivalent of 2 million cars' worth of carbon from the atmosphere annually.

Cost-Effective Solutions for Farmers

Eion sources its olivine from Norway, making it slightly pricier. However, through tax credits and carbon removal purchases, it offers farmers significant savings. Dan Prevost, who runs Prevost Farms in Mississippi, shares, "What I get is a discounted product that shows up on my farm at a 50% to 60% cost reduction over what I would pay for an equivalent product."

Future Growth

Having raised $20 million from investors like Exelon and Growmark, Eion is currently focused on Mississippi but plans to expand into Illinois and other regions. Pavlovic anticipates reaching "hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue over the next five years."