Scaling up Biochar Use in Agriculture for Soil Health and Climate Mitigation

Scaling up biochar use in agriculture has the potential to sequester carbon in soil, improve soil health, manage organic waste streams, and produce bioenergy. American Farmland Trust, a national non-profit, is collaborating with partners to catalyze the nation’s transition to a new conventional agriculture: one that is climate-smart, diverse, soil health promoting, equitable, and environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. Current cross-organizational projects, including NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) and Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities, will integrate biochar as a conservation practice. Thirty-four biochar CIG Soil Health Demonstration Trials being planned in cropping systems across 8 states will include measurement and monitoring of soil carbon stock and soil health, and will develop regional management recommendations. The Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities projects will include measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits in crop and livestock systems. These projects also have unique elements of on-farm, co-produced research; direct farmer support and engagement; and development of peer-to-peer networks through training, outreach, and dissemination of project outcomes. While the impact of various biochars on soil carbon sequestration and GHG quantification continue to be researched, AFT will bridge gaps in transferring applied research that is ready for adoption. AFT’s projects will connect farmers to technical and financial resources, contribute data for modeling and quantification, and build peer-to-peer networks, scaling up the use of biochars in agricultural systems. These projects will have begun by early FY24.