A New Phase for Biochar

December 2025

Biochar is entering a new phase.

Demand is rising across carbon markets, agriculture, and supply chains. Expectations are higher. Scrutiny is tighter. The gap between ambition and execution is more visible.

Biochar does not scale through hype or headlines. Scale depends on quality, consistency, and trust across the value chain, from farmers to industrial users.

The industry signal this year was not about scale alone.
It was about readiness.

Projects move faster than standards. Announcements move faster than skills. Interest moves faster than shared rules. The main risk today is not lack of demand. It is moving faster than our ability to align rules, skills, and expectations.

This is where IBI plays a specific role.

First, we serve as a technical reference.
Rules, science, and quality standards evolve quickly. Without shared expectations, the risk is growth done poorly. IBI tracks methodologies, emerging standards, and scientific evidence so companies, farmers, and developers understand what good biochar looks like and why it matters.

Second, we act as a connector.
The biochar sector remains fragmented. Producers, buyers, auditors, and policymakers often speak different languages. Misalignment creates confusion and costly mistakes. IBI works across these groups to align expectations, clarify requirements, and reduce friction before projects reach the field.

Third, we train people.
Rising demand means little without skilled operators. Safe, consistent biochar production depends on human capacity. Through education and applied training, including the Professional Biochar Certificate, IBI supports the skills the sector relies on.

These roles are not side activities. They are infrastructure.

As we approach IBI’s 20th anniversary, our focus is durability. Systems that last. Language that aligns. Capacity that stays. The IBI Member Hub, stronger regional partnerships, and deeper global collaboration reflect an organization built to withstand market cycles, not react to them.

Our work matters because the global biochar community chooses rigor over shortcuts.

Thank you for being part of this effort. We are proud to build what comes next together.

Warm regards,
Luisa Marín
Executive Director
International Biochar Initiative

P.S. Will you support 20 years of IBI’s impact with a $20 gift? Join a growing list of donors who have given to our first-ever fund.