FY25 Impact Snapshot
Explore highlights from our 2024–2025 work to scale the biochar industry.
Update from the Board Chair
June 30, 2025 marks the close of a remarkable year for the International Biochar Initiative (IBI)—a time of transition, reflection, and renewed purpose. Now is a moment to take stock of where we’ve been, acknowledge the progress we’ve made, and chart the course ahead with clarity and conviction.
Workstream Impact: Education + Development
In FY2025, IBI’s education and training efforts were guided by our 2024–2030 Strategic Plan, with a focus on expanding global access to knowledge, strengthening regional capacity, and building a collaborative ecosystem of practitioners.
“[The Biochar Academy] expanded my thinking about what biochar can be used for. Before the program I only thought of using biochar for agricultural and soil health purposes, but now I am exploring non-agricultural uses for it.”
Development Highlight
IBI was selected as a winner of the Bezos Earth Fund Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize – Phase II.
In FY2025, IBI was honored to receive the Bezos Earth Fund Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize (Phase II)—an award to advance the development of the International Biochar Atlas. This tool is designed to become a global resource connecting farmers, extension agents, researchers, and other stakeholders with biochar products tailored to their specific soil health needs.
Developed in collaboration with USDA-ARS, American Farmland Trust, and the US Biochar Initiative, the Atlas builds on Phase I groundwork and integrates international soil maps (e.g., EnvirometriX) and characterization data from the US and European Charchive. Users will be able to input soil data and receive recommendations for compatible biochar types, making biochar application more accessible and effective across diverse geographies.
Education Highlight
Hosted in Thika, Kenya, in June 2025, IBI hosted the first-ever Biochar Academy on the African continent.
This five-day hybrid event combined technical training with business development programming tailored to African contexts. In collaboration with CBEN, the event brought together 70 participants, including 30 attendees of the Biochar Academy and 40 attendees who joined for the final two-day CBEN conference.
Days 1–3 focused on the fundamentals of biochar science, production, and applications. Participants engaged in sessions on thermochemical conversion, feedstock sourcing, field demonstrations, and practical applications in agriculture, construction, and water purification.
Days 4–5 transitioned into agribusiness and entrepreneurship. Topics included biochar’s role in soil health, carbon certification, digital MRV systems, and business modeling. The event culminated in a pitch session where participants presented their ventures to a panel of investors and evaluators.
Our Growing Network
Since April 2025, IBI has launched a dedicated outreach campaign
targeting lapsed members. Each former member receives a personalized invitation letter signed by a member of our Board of Directors. This human-centered approach has already resulted in an increase in membership renewals, and we will continue scaling this strategy throughout the year.
IBI is also exploring opportunities to build reciprocity and alignment with other national and regional biochar networks such as ANZBIG and USBI. The goal is to ensure that membership in one of these organizations could automatically grant access to IBI membership benefits, and vice versa—creating a more integrated and supportive global biochar community.
Explore More Impact
During this past year, IBI has grown, both in terms of reach and relevance. We’ve deepened our engagement with communities, strengthened our leadership role in the carbon removal ecosystem, and expanded our educational and strategic impact around the world.
The results are tangible: new alliances, greater visibility, and a more resilient, better-equipped organization ready to take on new challenges.
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