When we deliver carbon removal credits, we get paid for a particular climate mitigation service: the removal of atmospheric CO2. Our biochar projects achieve much more than just the carbon removal we get paid for though. There are host of other benefits to humanity that result from our actions, benefits which are essentially piggybacking on the carbon credit purchases that support us. These other benefits are generally referred to as co-benefits. Co-benefits are not necessarily lesser in their intrinsic value to humanity, but they are generally more difficult to quantify and/or transact upon. For instance, biochar applications to farmland can leave a legacy of fertile soil, a lasting impact that can meaningfully improve drought resilience and food security for future generations – but what would be the units of measurement for this, and who would pay for it? The answers to that question aren’t worked out yet, so right now we get paid for our units of carbon removal, and all else is categorized as co-benefits. These are some of the notable co-benefits of our projects.
Catastrophic Wildfire Mitigation
The forestry management practices involved with timber production and harvesting, from which the forestry residues used in this project are derived, follow sustainabilty practices which have a positive influence in mitigating against catastrophic wildfire (refenence link here). The forest areas in which this project takes place in risk of catastrophic wildfire, as can be viewed via CalFire fire hazard severity zones.
Avoided Emissions of Composting
Biochar amendments in composting can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia. A UC Davis review for California Air Resources Board (CARB) reported a mean methane emission reduction of 41% when biochar was incorporated into early-stage dairy manure compost (reference here). A series of recent UC Merced studies observed methane reductions averaging 79% and 58%% compared to manure compost not treated with biochar, respectively (references here and here, respectively). Biochar materials from this project are commonly blended with compost prior to soil application, with some compost producers and dairies blending the biochar at the early stage of composting. The likelihood and practice of compost practitioners incorporating biochar into early stage compost has been observed to increase with increased availability of biochar and its use in farming. Additionally, Pacific Biochar sees an opportunity to scale adoption through financial incentive in the form of a methane reduction crediting methodology.
Agronomic Benefits
A systematic review of over 1,500 studies across 26 meta-analyses showed consistent agronomic benefits from biochar. Crop yields increased by an average of 10%, while water use efficiency improved by 20%. Root biomass and root length increased by 30% and 50%, respectively. Soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, total bacteria, and total fungi each increased by around 20%, while soil organic carbon and available phosphorus rose by 40%. Additionally, nitrate leaching was reduced by 10% and nitrous oxide emissions decreased by 35%, with heavy metal concentrations in plant tissue falling by 20–40%.
Oasis Vineyard Field Trial (see 3rd harvest report here and 5th report here):
Pacific Biochar’s field trials at Oasis Vineyard demonstrated significant performance gains when biochar was applied with or without compost. Over five harvests, yield improvements averaged more than 35% where biochar and compost were applied together, with gains exceeding 70% in low-yielding years. All treatments were profitable by the second harvest, with per-acre revenue increases by the fifth harvest of $9,752 for biochar, $12,569 for compost, and $14,937 for the combined treatment. These results were achieved without affecting grape quality and under consistent irrigation and fertilization regimes, highlighting improved input efficiency.
Water Conservation
Biochar improves soil water dynamics by increasing water retention in coarse soils and enhancing water infiltration in clay-rich soils. A 2020 meta-analysis by Razzaghi et al. found that biochar additions increased available water content by 45% in coarse-textured soils, 21% in medium-textured soils, and 14% in fine-textured soils. These changes contribute to greater drought resilience and improved water productivity per unit applied, addressing critical water security challenges in agriculture.
Nutrient Conservation
Biochar has been shown to reduce the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus from soils and compost. For instance, a study by Laird et al. (2010) found that biochar applications reduced total nitrogen leaching by 11% and dissolved phosphorus leaching by 69% following manure application. This nutrient retention helps reduce environmental pollution while keeping essential nutrients available to plants, functioning similarly to a filtration system in the soil matrix.
Intergenerational Benefits
Although no modern field trials have confirmed intergenerational benefits of biochar, historical and contextual evidence supports the hypothesis. Pyrogenic organic matter, a naturally occurring analogue to biochar, is recognized as a stable component of global soil organic matter and contributes significantly to soil fertility (links here, here, and here). Examples of Anthropogenic Dark Earths (ADEs), such as Terra Preta in the Amazon and similar soils in Europe, Australia, and Africa, suggest that biochar applications made generations ago continue to deliver agronomic benefits today. Based on this evidence, it is reasonable to expect that today’s biochar applications will provide long-term soil health and climate adaptation benefits extending across generations.
People and Communities
Communities near Pacific Biochar’s operations benefit from reduced wildfire risk, which improves air quality and lowers health and economic risks from smoke and fire damage. Farmers who use biochar also benefit from improved soil quality, higher crop productivity, and enhanced water and fertilizer efficiency. These outcomes contribute to long-term food security, economic stability, and land stewardship across rural and agricultural regions.
