| Newsletter

Back to the Basics, Forward Together

Rafa Gamboa, Communications Coordinator

October 2026 | Global Biochar Industry Update

Dear friends of biochar,

As October comes to a close, we enter the final stretch of the year. Three quarters of 2026 are already behind us, and this season has given all of us at IBI a reason to pause, look back, and get ready for what comes next.

That is the spirit behind Back to Biochar, our campaign for this season. Like going back to school, it is an invitation to come back to IBI as a living library of everything biochar: resources, events, tools, communities, celebration, and yes, even swag.

The swag is no accident. This year IBI turns 20. For two decades our vision has been to bring biochar up front, for the benefit of people and the environment. Biochar first entered the conversation as a climate solution. That idea has not changed; it has grown. Today biochar is a whole industry with its own carbon economy. It regenerates soils, provides clean energy and useful byproducts like syngas and bio-oil, strengthens construction materials, and filters pollutants from water. It is finding its way into pharmaceuticals, design, and art, and there is still so much more to discover.

But growth brings its own challenge: keeping the spark burning. We want biochar to be adopted globally and scaled into systems that improve communities and their lives. From our corner, the foundation for that future is shared knowledge, so that biochar is better understood, applied, produced, and held to strong quality standards.

That is why Back to Biochar goes back to the very basics. Biochar is the spine of this campaign, the common thread that connects all our efforts, people, and stories. Whether you are a newcomer, an expert, or simply curious, there is a place for you here, alongside policymakers, standards bodies, technology developers, auditors, and researchers.

Here is what we’ve prepared for you this season:

On a personal note, I first encountered biochar in 2023, working on an industrial-scale project in Guanajuato, Mexico, that turned corn residue into biochar. What struck me then still inspires me now: a material that began as a niche discovery has become a science-based climate solution, and its story is still being written by all of us.

None of this would be possible without the people behind IBI. Our team is made of passionate people, full of great ideas and perspectives, who bring diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and cultures to the table. That diversity enriches every collaboration and makes our conversations around biochar deeper and more meaningful. To each and every one of my colleagues: thank you for your dedication, your curiosity, and the energy you bring to this work every day.

Back to Biochar runs through the end of this year, so there’s still time to dive in. We hope you’ll join us on this journey: learning, adaptable, curious, and always looking for tools to build a better habitat for everyone.

Warm regards,

Rafael Gamboa
Communications Coordinator
International Biochar Initiative