Biochar, FAO, and the Sustainable Development Goals
All United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015, which provides a roadmap for the world to achieve peace and prosperity.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the Agenda’s blueprint call all nations to action — and biochar plays an important role in achieving progress toward several of the SDGs.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) works to achieve food security for all by ensuring that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. FAO’s mission focuses on eradicating hunger, improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture, and managing natural resources responsibly. Biochar contributes directly to these priorities through multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), supporting FAO’s mandate in soil restoration, climate action, and resilient food systems.
Biochar contributes to FAO’s mission by linking soil health, food security, and climate resilience within a circular economy framework.
Integrating biochar into FAO’s field programs, policy dialogues, and sustainable agriculture initiatives can amplify progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the transformation of agri-food systems worldwide.
Direct Contributions
zero hunger
This SDG lies at the heart of FAO’s mandate. Biochar improves soil fertility, water retention, and crop yields, especially on degraded lands, directly enhancing food security and the sustainability of agricultural systems.
Biochar:
- Improves soil fertility, water retention, and crop yields
- Enhances food security, especially in degraded or marginal lands
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION
FAO promotes sustainable water use and pollution reduction in agriculture. Biochar helps retain water in soils and filters pollutants, contributing to better water quality and more resilient agricultural landscapes.
Biochar:
- Increases water retention in soils
- Filters pollutants and improves water quality when used in sanitation systems
affordable and clean energy
FAO supports renewable and sustainable bioenergy as part of rural development strategies. Pyrolysis—the process that produces biochar—also generates clean bioenergy (syngas and bio-oil), offering integrated energy and soil management solutions.
Biochar:
- is a co-product of pyrolysis, which can also generate renewable bioenergy
- Encourages decentralized clean energy production
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
FAO champions circular food systems that minimize waste. Biochar embodies this principle by converting agricultural residues and organic waste into valuable soil inputs, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and enhancing nutrient recycling.
Biochar:
- Promotes circularity by converting organic waste into a valuable resource
- Reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers and industrial inputs
CLIMATE ACTION
FAO leads global efforts to make agriculture both more resilient and less polluting. Biochar provides a long-term carbon sink—storing carbon for centuries—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrous oxide and methane from soils and organic waste.
Biochar:
- Sequesters carbon for hundreds to thousands of years
- Reduces methane and nitrous oxide emissions from soils and organic waste
LIFE ON LAND
Biochar supports FAO’s land restoration and biodiversity programs by rehabilitating degraded soils, improving soil structure, and enhancing ecosystem services essential for sustainable land management and rural livelihoods.
Biochar:
- Restores degraded soils and ecosystems
- Promotes biodiversity and land resilience
Indirect and Cross-Cutting Contributions
No Poverty
By improving agricultural productivity and resilience, biochar supports FAO’s broader vision of reducing poverty through sustainable rural livelihoods.
Biochar:
- Increases agricultural productivity and income for smallholder farmers
- Creates new green jobs in production, application, and innovation
decent work and economic growth
FAO promotes inclusive agricultural growth and green jobs. Biochar enterprises create employment in biomass collection, processing, and soil management.
Biochar:
- Fosters local enterprise development (e.g., biochar production, agroforestry)
- Supports green industry and innovation
partnerships for the goals
FAO’s success depends on multistakeholder cooperation. The biochar community exemplifies this approach, fostering partnerships across research, policy, and practice.
Biochar:
- Has a global community that fosters international collaboration across science, policy, and practice
Summary
Biochar serves as a cross-cutting solution that supports IFAD and FAO’s shared missions to promote sustainable, resilient, and inclusive rural development. Integrating biochar into agricultural and land management programs can amplify the impact of ongoing efforts toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.