## 3 Results and Discussion
### Potential Applications of Biochar in the NEA
In addition to reducing total stormwater volumes, these gardens amended with biochar also delay peak runoff and improve the quality of the stormwater [93]. Another significant potential application of biochar in the NEA is its use as a feed supplement in the animal husbandry sector (Table 4). The \"cascade\" application of biochar, in which biochar is added to animal feed supplement because it is beneficial to the animalsand continues to be beneficial as a component of their manure and of the soils it is applied onto, would be very important for cattle ranching in the NEA. In such a system, biochar would be enriched with organic nutrients during its transit through the digestive tract of animals, in the bedding material of stables, in manure pits, or during co-composing. Thus, this biochar would become a more efficient plant growth-enhancing soil amendment that promotes the recycling of nutrients from organic residues of animal husbandry that otherwise would be lost [89]. In the context of a bioeconomy, carbon sequestration services provided by farmers through the application of biochar to their land may become a significant, new source of income. The application of biochar produced by the farmers' cooperatives in the associated farms can promote a model of smart and environmentally friendly agriculture in the NEA. As recognized by the IPCC, the direct use of biochar in agriculture provides an important route for carbon sequestration and storage in terrestrial ecosystems and, thus, climate change mitigation [35]. Carbon marketplaces are emerging as a way to turn biochar application in soils into carbon removal certificates with monetary value [107]. Then, these carbon removal certificates can be traded with companies, institutions, governments, and individuals interested in reducing their carbon footprint [108]. Complex traceability systems that apply blockchain technologies and/or satellite imaging are being implemented to promote trust, accountability, and reliable guarantees of the carbon deposited in a certain sink [109; 110]. Certifications of the carbon sink potential or verified carbon standards such as the Verra as a 'gold standard' have been emerging [111; 112; 113]. However, the quantitative evaluation of the carbon sequestered on farms and the monitoring of potential changes in long-term land use are still major concerns for the large-scale deployment of carbon sequestration services. Intended double counting is also regarded as a concern because already traded carbon removal certificates could be added to national mitigation strategies. In this regard, the use of biochar as an additive in gray infrastructure (Table 4) can have advantages in terms of carbon sink accounting, compared to agriculture application. Unlike the soil, the amount of carbon deposited in a construction in the long term can be more accurately predicted [114; 115]. Accordingly, the growth of infrastructure in the NEA due to the high urbanization rates can be a great opportunity to provide carbon sequestration services by including biochar in the cement and mortars of public and private structures. SWOT Analysis: Challenges and Opportunities Associated with the Integration of Pyrolysis Facilities in Farmers' Cooperatives of the NEA  
The conversion of agricultural waste into biochar in farmers' cooperatives can be a productive way to implement profitable new activities in line with a bioeconomy in several sectors of the NEA (Table 4, Section 3.4). Nonetheless, the financial sustainability of such pyrolysis operations remains a concern. Economic sustainability of a pyrolysis process that uses reactors that comply with the selection criteria (Table 1; e.g., rotary kils, auger type reactors) requires biochar prices to be above 600 USD/t [116], while typical soil amendments used in the NEA (e.g., composted chicken manure) do not cost more than 25 USD/t. Therefore, it is unlikely that farmers' cooperatives would invest in the production and use of biochar in agriculture [117].