Globally, with an increase in income, there are changes in dietary choices along with increased demand for food from the already high-input-driven farming system, which further encourages the exploitation of natural resources. In other words, agriculture and the food production system will not be sustainable. Sustainable farming is dependent on soil organic carbon (SOC), which maintains soil health and affects productivity. SOC is often below optimum levels in major Indian soil types. To increase agricultural productivity while securing and enhancing natural resources, innovative systems are needed, which should comprise advanced farming systems and agronomy practices.

Commonly used approaches to improve SOC require a longer duration to show impacts, such as cover crops, rotations, fast-growing legumes, incorporation of crop straw and organic manure, the introduction of nitrogen-fixing trees, and reduced tillage.

An alternative to these approaches is the application of biochar, which is demonstrating the potential to enhance carbon sequestration, soil productivity, and carbon stabilization and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to raw amendments of organic wastes and plant residues. Carbon dioxide emissions from biochar soils were found to be three-fold lower than those treated with raw residues. Studies have demonstrated improvement in SOC content with the application of biochar.

Biochar is, therefore, a potentially valuable addition to ways of bringing down GHG emissions because it effectively stabilizes photosynthetic carbon and reduces the open burning of crop residues. However, sustainable, year-round availability of diverse feedstock is the most crucial limiting factor identified in the production and use of biochar.

In India, the availability of surplus crop residues is estimated at 84–141 million tonnes a year. Another estimate by the National Policy for Management of Crop Residues of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India shows 500 million tonnes of crop residues annually, from which about 92 million tonnes are burned in fields. Thus, there is huge potential to use otherwise burned crop residues in the production of biochar. This would improve soil health, enhance carbon sequestration, contribute to climate-change mitigation, and greatly contribute to the reduction of pollution and air toxicity.

ICRAF South Asia, therefore, proposed to initiate a pilot project on developing a scalable approach to the production, processing, and use of biochar and develop the associated links between biochar producers and other value-chain actors for sustainable scaling up of its use in agriculture. The project would work on three elements critical to every biochar system: 1) ways and means for a sustainable supply of biomass; 2) most efficient methods to produce biochar at various scales; and 3) how, when, where and for what to apply in soil.

Main objectives

• To evaluate production, application, and effect of biochar on soil health and food production
• To develop models that can be expanded in scale for sustainable production of biochar using diverse feedstocks obtained from agroforestry systems
• To develop market links that can be expanded in scale to mainstream the use of biochar for climate-resilient and productive soil management

The project envisions working with more than 1000 farmers on biochar production and application and will encourage women and youth to make up 20–30% of participants.