Biochar involves the burning of woody biomass, usually from trees, to make charcoal for burial in the soil. It is claimed, by the proponents of biochar, that this permanently removes carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the soil. It is also promoted as a major "geo-engineering" solution to global climate change, as well as a means of improving soils and addressing poverty.

However, this technology raises serious scientific, ecological and social concerns. There is a lack of evidence for biochar's long-term sequestration of carbon in the soil. There is no margin for error and uncertainty, especially as biochar advocates are promoting the large-scale burning of trees. This of course releases huge amounts of carbon to then bury carbon. In the final analysis who benefits?

Africa is a particular target for biochar, largely due to the commonly held Western mis-perception that there is abundant land available for "development". The impacts of large-scale biochar in Africa are likely to be dramatic, exacerbating land-grabbing and the destruction of ecosystems and rural livelihoods in Africa. Some biochar advocates believe that up to 1 billion hectares of plantations may be needed to grow the trees necessary for biochar production on a scale large enough to impact the climate. Many questions need to be answered before the claims about biochar can stand up to scrutiny. In spite of this uncertainty, aggressive promotion and implementation of biochar is already taking place.

Our Work

Gaia is working with partners to research, monitor and expose the impacts of biochar, especially in Africa. We are also involved in informing policy-makers about the implications.