## 3 Results and Discussion
### Potential Applications of Biochar in the NEA
In Ecuador, carbon sequestration services date back to 1993 when a consortium financed by Dutch electricity companies promoted the absorption of their CO2 emissions through the implementation of forest conservation and reforestation plans in the highland provinces of Pichincha, Cotopaci, and Chimborazo [119]. In general, carbon sequestration through forestation and reforestation activities results in the fixation of 100 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare [119]. The use of biochar in agriculture, in contrast, could sequester up to 526 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per hectare. This estimation is based on an agriculturally relevant application of biochar of 195 metric tons/ha [77], since 2.7 tons of CO2 equivalent can be sequestered per ton of biochar [41,102]. It is worth to note that the amount of CO2 sequestered will vary depending on the amount of biochar applied to the soil, the production technology used, the feedstock logistics (collection and transportation), and, of course, the soil dynamics influencing the effective incorporation of carbon to its structure. It is also identified that the emerging carbon certification standards and marketplaces that allow for the monetization of these services are private initiatives at the international level that probably are not within the reach of farmers' cooperatives. These carbon marketplaces demand life-cycle analysis of the produced biochar as the first step of certification, and such analyses are not familiar for farmers' cooperatives. Accordingly, governments could play a significant role in converting certification into a public service rather than a private good [18], thereby democratizing access to the carbon trading markets. These farmers' cooperatives are formal economic institutions and already have contact with national and international customers. Some of these customers have climate strategies and may be interested in reducing their carbon footprint. The farmers' cooperatives can meet this demand for carbon sequestration services by providing an extended positive environmental impact by preventing pollution caused by the accumulation of agricultural waste, contributing to forest conservation, and replacing fossil fuels used for drying with renewable sources of energy. The provision of carbon sequestration services by farmers' cooperatives can also be linked with a complementary positive social impact via creation of new jobs and new sources of income in the rural sector (see opportunities in Table 5). Likewise, the strengthening of the policy that removes the subsidies on fossil fuels can also be a positive complementary effect at the local level. In this way, the implementation of carbon sequestration services in the farmers' cooperatives can consolidate a solid and quantitative contribution toward the conservation of Amazonian forests and argue for environmentally friendly chocolate and coffee in international certification programs. It is important to note that the implementation of pyrolysis facilities in the farmers' cooperatives and the provision of carbon sequestration services will require significant financial resources in addition to those already required to remain competitive. Unlike traditional small and medium enterprises, the ownership structure of farmers' cooperatives limits access to capital. In most cases, the financial resources available in the cooperatives come from the profits generated in the sale of commodities (e.g., cocoa or coffee) and the provision of services (e.g., drying and threshing) to independent farmers. The members of the farmers' cooperatives benefit from the infrastructure and activities carried out by the association but cannot claim rights over its capital in the case of getting out of business. The presidents of each organization confirm that the most important decision-making body in the organizational structure is the assembly of partners, which must approve any interventions of external investors.