Hamburg-based social enterprise VIVO Carbon gleichzeitig adressiert. Mit Agroforst. Agroforst? Das ist schnell erklärt: Gemeinsam mit Landwirt:innen pflanzt das Team von VIVO Carbon auf deren Ackerflächen Bäume. Die binden nicht nur CO₂, sondern erhöhen auch die Biodiversität. Durch die Pflanzung der Bäume steigt perspektivisch sogar die Produktivität der landwirtschaftlichen Flächen. Eine Win-Win-Situation für die Landwirt:innen und die Umwelt. Sind die Bäume ausreichend groß, kommen sie etwa als nachhaltiger Rohstoff für den Bau zum Einsatz. Das in ihnen gespeicherte CO₂ bleibt damit, wo es ist. Finanziert wird die Arbeit von VIVO Carbon über Spenden und Klimaschutz-Credits.
Wir haben mit Jan Frensch, Mitgründer von VIVO Carbon und verantwortlich für das Business Development, über das Unternehmen und seine Mission gesprochen:
Jan, how did you originally come up with the idea for this company?
The debate about how best to tackle the climate crisis rages on, but we decided it was time for action, not words. From the outset, we had a clear pragmatism and a sense of urgency that something needed to be done. That was back in 2020. Michael and Tobias originally had the idea of becoming involved in agroforestry, an area previously underestimated and largely neglected by policy-makers in Germany, while in other countries, such as France, it is already well-regarded as an extremely effective tool that can bind large amounts of carbon and simultaneously meet several other key goals.
That sounds very promising. Why do you think it has taken so long for agroforestry to attract interest?
That’s quite easy to answer: Primarily because the issue is not well-supported at a political level. The available subsidies are overly bureaucratic, insufficient and impractical. What’s more, although agroforestry makes land more productive and is a cost-effective climate protection measure, many farmers are simply ignorant about it. They are reluctant to invest time and money, so very little is happening.
You are a nonprofit limited liability company (gGmbH). Why did you opt for this legal format?
We always understood that what we were creating would not offer shareholder value. While we see nothing fundamentally wrong in a business model that helps the environment and makes money at the same time, we believe our chosen mechanism is more effective: The more money we reinvest, the more new trees we can plant. So that was our primary concern. And then we asked ourselves, how can we build confidence that the funds will be appropriately spent? Unfortunately, Germany still lacks a suitable legal format for a project like ours, despite widespread calls for one. In the current situation, a non-profit LLC was our best option for ensuring that we handle our financial resources in a trustworthy, transparent manner.
Social Entrepreneurship City Hamburg is a mouthpiece for companies like yours. What single thing could help make your work even more successful?
We already have everything we need on an operational level. Our service is up and running and we have already planted our first three projects. Next year, we are planning to ramp up our activities and roll out significantly more projects. For this to succeed, we need companies and individuals who will get on board and help us implement climate protection projects. We have an extremely effective tool for binding the carbon emitted over decades, but are reliant on the support of companies, organizations and individuals.
Let’s fast-forward to 2034 – where would you like agroforestry to be in ten years’ time?
We have a very specific goal. Crucially, farmers should be willing to plant agroforestry systems without us in future – out of self-interest – with the backing of policy-makers. We see ourselves as the driving force behind the political and social evolution of agroforestry. Once we have achieved our goal, we will turn our attention to other productive ecosystems or perhaps other countries. After all, our name is VIVO Carbon, not VIVO Agroforestry.
Do you have any specific figures in mind for your vision of the future?
Indeed we do! Around 50% of Germany’s land mass – some 16 million hectares – is devoted to agriculture. If agroforestry were operated on all this land, we could bind 40 million tons of carbon each year – around 2/3 of the emissions currently emitted by agriculture. That’s pretty impressive.
Impressive indeed! We can see that you are genuinely passionate about this vital issue.
Yes, the entire team feels the same way. Our conviction, quite simply, is that something needs to change. And our vision is that VIVO Carbon can help to create an alternative model to the traditional economy – one where the benefits to society take precedence over individual profit. Of course, we cannot change the system overnight; that is not the point. But we can act appropriately within the system and invest money where it is urgently needed.
About VIVO Carbon:
The non-profit VIVO Carbon implements agroforestry (agriculture + trees) systems in Germany. Agroforestry systems have multiple benefits: They bind carbon, increase biodiversity, improve microclimates and help agriculture adapt to climate change. They also create synergies between rows of trees and arable crops, thus increasing the overall productivity of the land. The projects are implemented in collaboration with farmers and jointly managed. Agroforestry systems capture and store carbon dioxide in living, productive ecosystems. Once the timber has been harvested, the carbon is permanently stored, e.g. in building materials. The roots remain in the soil so that the trees can grow back without replanting, and the carbon binding process is repeated. Proceeds from the sale of timber are reinvested in climate protection. Companies, organisations, charities and individuals can support regional, transparent climate protection and nature conservation through financial donations. Agroforestry systems are funded from donations initially, and from the sale of carbon credits in the medium term.
