Participants at the 2024 Italy Biochar Study Tour learn about innovative viticulture mapping technology.
Letter from Leadership
As of 18 November, I became the Executive Director of the International Biochar Initiative. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the IBI community and share a little about who I am and how I found my way into the world of biochar.
During Climate Week in NYC, a couple of months ago, I came across a sign that said, “Every exit is an entrance somewhere else.” At the time, it just seemed like a clever quote. But today, as I begin my journey with IBI, those words resonate. Becoming the Executive Director of the first international biochar organization was something I never saw coming. In fact, it happened right when one chapter of my biochar story — at the time it seemed like my entire biochar career — was coming to a close.
In 2022, I had the privilege of working with a team on a groundbreaking project: developing Mexico’s first industrial-scale biochar facility. In principle, the goals driving this venture were straightforward enough: create a financial model, identify a location rich in agricultural waste, pyrolyze those feedstocks, return the biochar to the farmers who provided the inputs, and generate carbon credits.
In practice, however, nothing about that project was straightforward.
To better understand what people think about biochar, we are conducting a quick survey. Whether you’re in sustainability at a corporation, in agriculture, government, finance, or simply interested in biochar, your perspective will be incredibly helpful!
đź•’ It takes 10 minutes to complete this anonymous survey, and your feedback will directly contribute to our understanding of opportunities for biochar.
Are you ready for an up-close look at biochar innovation in action? Join us for a first-of-its-kind biochar event, in partnership with TOWING Co. Ltd in Japan in April 2025!
Spots are limited—register your interest early to be the first to know when tickets are live this December.
Interested in showcasing your business at the event? Learn more and apply to become a sponsor.
Partner and Member Updates
OPPORTUNITY: Call for Abstracts! The Bio-Char IV Conference, hosted by Engineering Conferences International, is seeking abstracts through November 2024. IBI is planning educational programming occurring alongside the conference in Colombia – save the date!
OPPORTUNITY: Applications for the 2025 Keeling Curve Prize, dedicated to supporting groundbreaking projects addressing climate change, are now open! Apply by 15 January, 2025.
FEATURE:The #COPSoil page is back! Organized by CA4SH, the #COPSoil goal is so no one leaves the COPs feeling like they missed an event related to soil health, simply because they didn’t know about it. Submit your own soil-related COP event.
OPPORTUNITY: Call for Support! ANZBIG is leading the development of an Australian Standard for Biochar to guide commercial producers, local testing and markets to transparently scale-up sequestration of fit-for-purpose biochar grades. Show your support by emailing the Standards Australia consultant with a personal note of support by Tuesday, 26 November at midnight, AEDT. Before you send your message, review the draft proposal for the new standard.
OPPORTUNITY: Conservation X Labs launched the Fire Grand Challenge, offering $630,000 in prizes to transform how we manage and live with fire in Western North America. Apply before 2 December, 2024.
Partner Newsletters to Explore
featuring opportunities, stories, and more
Australia and New Zealand Biochar Industry Group’s (ANZBIG) October newsletter
Join the interest lists for regional IBI biochar education trainings, currently in development, by clicking on the links below. Stay tuned for more education opportunities to be announced:
This month, we're welcoming 14+ new and renewing professional and student members. 🌟 With an updated membership structure and benefits coming soon, joining as a member today will lock in current pricing tiers for one year.
The latest industry news is quite char-ming, if you ask us!
AFRICA
🌍 Truecoco Ghana secures $3.3M from British International Investment for a biochar production project, aiming to be the leading carbon removal technology project in West Africa.
🏅 The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $120 million investment in six biochar projects across the country as part of the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program.
đź‘€ In a first-of-its-kind field study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers show a new kind of biochar makes it possible to prevent excess phosphorus from polluting downstream waterways, and also recycle it as a slow-release fertilizer.
🚧 A pedestrian improvement project in Washington State using biochar-based concrete is almost complete.
OCEANIA
Have biochar industry event, job, or other news to share?
