A recent review of biochar-enhanced agroforestry systems for carbon sequestration, soil health and climate resilience published in Discover Forests finds worldwide evidence that adding biochar to agroforestry systems (AFS) benefits both the environment and farmers’ livelihoods. The core finding is that this combination creates a powerful synergy that addresses the pressing global challenges of climate change, soil degradation, and food insecurity by enhancing carbon sequestration, boosting soil health, and improving climate resilience.

The integration of biochar and AFS creates a dual mechanism for carbon storage. Biochar itself provides recalcitrant carbon input through its aromatic structure, allowing carbon to persist in soils for centuries to millennia and resist microbial breakdown. Simultaneously, the trees in AFS accumulate carbon in woody biomass at rates that can reach 2-5 Mg C ha−1 yr^−1. Field studies confirm this combined effect: in degraded Brazilian silvopastoral systems, adding biochar led to carbon stock gains of 2.5-4.2 Mg C ha⁻¹_. Furthermore, in Bangladesh, litchi- and mahogany-based AFS saw a significant long-term increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) from 0.28% to 1.87% over 30 years.

Beyond carbon storage, biochar fundamentally improves soil properties. Its porous structure increases water-holding capacity (WHC), with a meta-analysis reporting an average increase of 28.5% in available water content and about 20.4% in field capacity. This is vital for AFS, making them more resilient to drought. Biochar’s typically alkaline pHpH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a substance is. A pH of 7 is neutral, while lower pH values indicate acidity and higher values indicate alkalinity. Biochars are normally alkaline and can influence soil pH, often increasing it, which can be beneficial More helps neutralize acidic soils, reducing toxic aluminum and manganese levels. Moreover, the highly porous surface is an ideal habitat for beneficial soil microbes (like plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria), which enhances nutrient cycling and soil aggregation.

Case studies from around the world demonstrate how these soil improvements translate into tangible agricultural benefits. In Colombia’s coffee plantations, applying 8-16 Mg ha−1 of coffee-pulp biochar resulted in a 20% yield increase and substantially reduced reliance on chemical inputs, cutting chemical fertilizer demand by 34%. In dryland regions of Ethiopia, biochar combined with deficit irrigation led to a massive 266% increase in Yushinia alpina biomassBiomass is a complex biological organic or non-organic solid product derived from living or recently living organism and available naturally. Various types of wastes such as animal manure, waste paper, sludge and many industrial wastes are also treated as biomass because like natural biomass these More.

Perhaps the most dramatic yield gains were observed in Nepal, where adding a mixture of urine-biochar and compost to banana-based AFS boosted yields by 41% compared to synthetic NPK fertilizer and by a remarkable 102% compared to compost alone. This agricultural success also had profound socioeconomic implications: poverty levels in the biochar-adopting village dropped from 66% to 36%, clearly demonstrating the benefits for rural livelihoods. Studies show that even modest application rates can significantly increase yields for smallholder farmers, and on-farm production methods can be highly profitable, with some achieving payback within two months.

To realize the global potential of biochar-AFS, estimated to be up to 1.8 Pg CO₂-Ceq per year in mitigation, several challenges must be addressed. Currently, there is a lack of long-term field studies (over ten years) to fully assess the enduring impacts of biochar. Additionally, socioeconomic barriers, such as the high initial cost of industrial biochar production and low farmer awareness, hinder widespread adoption.

However, innovation is helping overcome these hurdles. Low-cost, farmer-centered methods exist, such as the “burn and soil cover” technique, and nutrient-enriched biochar from waste streams can provide valuable fertilizer inputs. Crucially, policy incentives are needed to drive adoption. The proposed framework involves three phases: Governments design policy, leading to Policy Incentives (like carbon credits and subsidies), followed by Farmer Training and Scaling Pathways. Policy support is essential for biochar-AFS to qualify for carbon credits, which provide a significant financial incentive for farmers to sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Collaborative efforts between governments, NGOs, and the private sector are key to supporting the necessary training and capacity building for farmers.

Source: Ashraf, S. M. K., Ripta, S. K., Rana, M. T., & Islam, K. K. (2025). Biochar enhanced agroforestry systems for carbon sequestration, soil health and climate resilience. Discover Forests, 1(53).