Strengthening Biochar Quality Standards for a Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy

This month’s CBEN Monthly Call featured an insightful presentation by Patrizia Pschera, Environment and Climate Specialist at Carbon Standards International (CSI), who introduced members to the establishment of biotech quality standards for agricultural biochar and the regulatory frameworks needed to support decentralized production.

The presentation highlighted how CSI’s global certification systems—such as the European Biochar Certificate (EBC) and the World Biochar Certificate (WBC) and Global C-Sink Standards—provide a structured foundation for ensuring the sustainability, traceability, and safety of biochar used in agricultural and carbon-sink applications. These standards are essential for both industrial producers and small-scale community operations.

The session emphasized that biochar quality is strongly influenced by feedstocks. Different raw materials can introduce contaminants such as heavy metals and PAHs, making careful feedstock selection and responsible sourcing critical for ensuring safe agricultural use. Reactor design was also shown to play a major role in minimizing toxins and producing consistent, high-quality biochar.

A major challenge that was discussed is the fact that biochar cannot be analyzed using conventional soil testing methods. Because of biochar’s porous, carbon-rich structure, specialized analytical techniques are required. The importance of ring trials, pre-registered samples, and meaningful labeling was emphasized.

Participants explored several practical questions around laboratory readiness, including pathways for new labs seeking certification, options for harmonizing analytical results across networks, and appropriate containers for reliable sample measurement. These discussions highlighted the need for strengthened regional lab capacity and more affordable testing options to support decentralized producers. The focus should be on methods that can realistically be carried out in local laboratories, such as elemental analysis, ash and water holding capacity.

Overall, the call underscored the central role of robust, accessible quality standards in scaling Africa’s biochar sector, and with growing interest in both artisanal and industrial production models, the insights shared during the session will support CBEN’s broader mission to advance a resilient circular bionutrient economy and guide ongoing initiatives, including the upcoming December Study Tour, which will not only deepen understanding of biochar but also explore Black Soldier Fly systems, their standards, and the integration of the dMRV Tool.

The tour’s objectives include enhancing participant knowledge of scalable biochar technologies and C-sink project management, introducing the dMRV tool as a reliable digital system for monitoring, verification, and certification of carbon removal projects, highlighting bamboo biochar as a climate-smart livelihood model that links environmental protection with farmer income opportunities, promoting integrated waste recovery systems by showcasing Black Soldier Fly enterprises as complementary nutrient and carbon recovery solutions, and strengthening CBEN’s role as a knowledge-sharing hub that supports farmer networks and broadens collaborative partnerships.

 By Erick O. Abala

Head of Communications- CBEN