Starting 2026 with a Spirit of Collaboration
January 2026 | Read the full Global Biochar Industry Update
The start of a new year is always an invitation to reflect, not just on what lies ahead, but also on the conversations, relationships, and shared experiences that quietly shape our work and help us grow as a community.
Last October, during my attendance at the Italian Biochar Association’s (ICHAR) Biochar School in Italy, this felt especially true. Beyond the sessions, site visits, and technical discussions, what resonated most were the exchanges, between practitioners, project developers, researchers, and organizations who care deeply about the future of biochar.
These conversations were a reminder that progress in this field doesn’t rely only on individual projects or initiatives. It often emerges through connection, trust, and collaboration across regions and perspectives. They also planted the seed for a deeper dialogue between IBI and ICHAR about how we might work more closely together
As we begin the year with a new chapter of collaboration with ICHAR featuring reciprocal memberships and more, we do so with gratitude for the relationships that made it possible and continue to guide us. Partnerships like these are built over time, on shared values, complementary strengths, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to the wider biochar movement.
This collaboration is not just about our two organizations. It reflects a broader commitment to community-building: to aligning messaging where helpful, exchanging knowledge across borders, and supporting more open, accessible, and practical pathways for learning and implementation.
At IBI, we’re excited not only about this partnership itself, but about what it represents: a belief that working together can spark new questions, strengthen existing connections, and make space for creative, grounded approaches to biochar adoption.
As interest in biochar continues to grow globally, we know that no single organization or region holds all the answers. That’s why relationships, both personal and institutional, matter more than ever. They help us stay grounded, reduce fragmentation, and support one another as we explore what a more connected, responsive, and collaborative biochar community can look like.
As we step into the year ahead, we do so together, with curiosity, care, collaboration, and a shared commitment to growing a more connected and resilient biochar community alongside our members, partners, and peers.
With best wishes,
Valeria Araico
Operations and Programs Senior Manager