Biochar: Biomass Charcoal for Soil improvement

Biochar, a powerfully circular way to fight climate change

Biochar technology is a form of charcoal. It is made through a process called pyrolysis which involves burning of biomass in an oven with little or no oxygen. What you get out of it is solid material which then is added into soil. Under the right circumstances, biochar provides a unique opportunity to sequester carbon and improve soil quality by using locally sourced resources, and even a single application can provide benefits for years.

This technology is validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Much less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: Much less water used

Problem

Degraded soils hinder development outcomes: Poor soil fertility and weak structure affect crop growth, food security, and farmer livelihoods across the continent.
Residue burning accelerates climate vulnerability: Though widespread, this practice releases carbon, depletes organic matter, and damages soil systems—making communities more vulnerable to climate shocks.
Inefficient fertiliser use reduces impact: Farmers apply low levels of fertiliser—on average 20 kg/ha—but poor soil retention means much of it is wasted, reducing returns on agricultural investments.
Erosion undermines resilience efforts: Water and wind erosion strip topsoil, making it harder for smallholders to recover from shocks or adopt sustainable practices.
Agricultural waste is underutilized: Crop residues could serve as inputs for soil enhancement or energy, but are often burned or discarded due to lack of alternatives.
Dependence on harmful inputs: Continued use of synthetic fertilisers without complementary organic matter worsens soil conditions and contradicts sustainability goals.
Land use remains extractive, not regenerative: Farmers rely on short-term fixes rather than long-term land stewardship, complicating efforts to build resilient systems.
Agriculture underperforms in climate action portfolios: Despite its potential, agriculture remains a weak contributor to mitigation targets and carbon reduction goals.

Solution

Improves soil health: Enhances soil structure, nutrient availability, water retention, and microbial life.
Raises productivity sustainably: Increases maize and rice yields by 15–35% in trials across Benin, Tanzania, and Ghana.
Reduces input needs: Cuts spending on fertilisers and pesticides—crucial for smallholder viability.
Builds climate resilience: Helps soils retain moisture and nutrients during extreme weather.
Reduces emissions and sequesters carbon: Mitigates methane from residue burning and locks carbon in soil.
Generates carbon finance opportunities: Empowers farmers to access carbon markets and diversify incomes.
Supports long-term impact: A single application provides sustained improvements season after season.

Key points to design your program

Biochar contributes to food security, gender empowerment, and climate mitigation. When linked to carbon markets and regenerative agriculture, it creates new income streams for farmers while improving long-term land health.

To integrate biochar into development projects:

Support the creation of farmer training hubs that teach biochar production and connect farmers with carbon-credit buyers.
Facilitate partnerships between farmer groups and equipment providers to ensure access to appropriate kilns and pyrolysis systems.
Incorporate biochar into regenerative agriculture components of your programs to improve soil, water retention, and reduce emissions.
Help build market linkages—encourage the private sector to invest in production and carbon credit bundling.
Fund demonstration plots and field trials to show evidence of increased yields (15–35%) and soil improvement.
Leverage local supply chains—biochar equipment is already available in Nigeria (e.g. Kano State), which can lower startup barriers.

305 USD

For 500 Kg capacity

5—10 Tones

Recommended Biochar quantity for 1 hectare

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 15: life on land

For more effectiveness and rapid activation,

Mix biochar with organic manure or compost and incorporate it into the soil during land preparation.
Frequency of application: Due to its gradual process in decomposing in soil, single applications of biochar can provide beneficial effects over several growing seasons in the field.
Therefore, biochar does not need to be applied with each crop, as is usually the case for manures, compost, and synthetic fertilizers.

Biochar is great stuff but it can be dangerous to you and your crops. Therefore, Keep your biochar wet – the tiny particles can get in your lungs and cause cancer
Never put biochar in your soil immediately after making it.

Biochar is very powerful if you use too much you risk:
• Locking up the nitrogen in your soil
• Locking up any chemical fertilizers you are using
• Locking up any pesticides and herbicides you are using

Materials and Equipment

Drum
Duct tube
Ignition cone
Feed stalk (e.g., rice husk, wood, shavings or other crop residues)
Ignition material
Water
Nylon/leather
Rope

Rice Husk Biochar Production Procedure

Feed the ignition material into the ignition cone
Insert the cone into the drum
Fill the drum with the feed stalk
Ignite the material inside the cone
Insert the duct tube into the ignition cone and confirm the smoke is escaping through the pipe
After 3-4 hrs stir the rice husk with the formed biochar
Fill the drum with the rice husk to the brim
After 1-2 hrs wet the duct tube with water and remove
Shut the air/oxygen by covering the drum with leather
Leave it in this condition until the next day
The biochar is ready to be activated with compost or compost tea