Back to Biochar: You’re Invited
Summer is winding down, and with it comes a familiar feeling — the pull to sharpen our focus, gather what we’ve learned, and get ready for what’s next. At the International Biochar Initiative, that feeling has a name this year: Back to Biochar.
We’re in the final stretch of a year that has also been a milestone one. In 2026, IBI marks 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 since our founding — two decades spent building the global platform for biochar research, standards, and community. What began as an effort to promote biochar as a climate solution has grown into something larger: a full-fledged industry, a carbon economy, and a body of knowledge that touches soil health, agriculture, construction, design, and beyond.
That growth is something to celebrate. But it also brings a challenge we take seriously: momentum without direction can plateau. Adoption doesn’t scale on enthusiasm alone — it scales on shared knowledge, rigorous standards, and people who understand not just what biochar is, but how to apply, produce, and evaluate it well. That’s the gap Back to Biochar is built to close.
What “Back to Biochar” brings together
This campaign is our invitation to go back to basics — not because the fundamentals need reintroducing, but because they’re the foundation everything else stands on. It’s for newcomers taking their first look at biochar, and for the experts, policymakers, standards bodies, and technology vendors who’ve been building this field for years.
Everyone has a next thing to learn, and we’ve put together a season’s worth of ways to learn it — on your own time, at your own pace.
Education, self-paced and fully immersive
From the fundamentals to advanced technical material, our online courses— including the Biochar Operator Course, and the Virtual Graduate Lecture Series — are open for a complete learning journey, whenever you have the time to take it.
Did we mention you can sample the first lessons of the Biochar Operator Course and the VGLS for free?
twenty years of story
Our anniversary storytelling series traces how IBI became the organization it is today — and where we’re headed next, guided by our 2024–2030 Strategic Plan and the vision of a thriving, healthy planet for all.
a full calendar of webinars
With a number of webinars already confirmed through the end of the year, and many still in the works, we’re connecting you directly with the people doing the work.
Attend every one, or pick and choose which interests you most. Important note: webinar recordings are only shared with registered attendees and the IBI member network.
a biochar research archive
We’re excited to open — for a limited time — our Biochar Research Archive to Professional level membership tiers, containing the latest research on topics from ranging waste management to soil. A special note of gratitude is deserved for Dr. Abhilasha Tripathi, who has pulled together these research summaries monthly for IBI members since 2022.
Behind all of the Back to Biochar activities is a community worth showing up for. We’re marking 20 years with commemorative swag — which shirt is most “you”? — and a season of engagement designed to bring our community closer together.
Join Us
Back to Biochar is for anyone who’s curious, adaptable, and ready to build toward a better future for people and the planet — whether that means picking up a new fundamental, going deeper on something advanced, or simply reconnecting with why this work matters.
We hope you’ll join us.