Programme

Biochar: locking carbon into the soil

Turn crop and forest residue into biochar that improves farm soils and stores carbon for the long term.

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400+ companies plant with us · 85% survival, program-wide · 14 states across India

Carbon removal

recognised by the IPCC

Better soils

water and nutrient retention

Uses residue

an alternative to field burning

With farmers

in agroforestry regions

Quick answer

What is biochar?

Biochar is a charcoal-like material made by heating crop or forest residue with little oxygen (pyrolysis). Added to soil, it can hold carbon for a very long time and help soils keep water and nutrients. It is recognised as a carbon dioxide removal method. Grow Billion Trees supports biochar projects alongside its plantation and agroforestry work.

Trusted by 400+ companies

From the farms we work with

Farmers in the regions where biochar fits alongside agroforestry.

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Celebrities and leaders who plant with us

Actors, directors and public figures on why they back Grow Billion Trees.

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See all videos →

Impact

What it changes

For the people, the land and the companies behind each project.

Soil

Holds water and nutrients for crops.

Climate

Stores carbon in a stable form for the long term.

Farmers

Uses crop residue and improves yields over time.

Companies

A carbon-removal option alongside plantation.

How a biochar project works

Five steps from site to report.

Identify residue sources with farmers
Produce biochar with partners
Apply to farm soils
Measure and document
Report and, where sought, verify credits

Where this programme fits

The corporate goals this programme supports.

Projects across India

Every pin is a project with its own digital forest. Filter by programme or state, or search for a company.

Pins show the approximate area of each project, not exact plot locations. Updated 2026-10-21.

Programmes we have run

How companies planted with us, and what they got.

From the field

Planting, care and growth on our project sites.

Village women planting saplings at a Grow Billion Trees plantation drive

Employees planting and watering saplings at a corporate plantation drive

Corporate team group photo at a Grow Billion Trees plantation site

Freshly dug pits and saplings in rows at a plantation site

Volunteers planting saplings across a large plantation site

Community members kneeling to plant saplings along drip lines

Volunteers planting saplings beside drip irrigation lines

Large group planting trees together at a corporate plantation drive

People planting saplings across an open plantation site

Transparency

Check any tree we planted for you

Every tree we plant is geo-tagged and gets a certificate. Enter a certificate or order number to see it.

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Questions about biochar

What is biochar?

A charcoal-like material made by heating crop or forest residue with little oxygen, then added to soil.

How does biochar remove carbon?

It turns carbon from residue into a stable form that stays in the soil for a long time instead of returning to the air.

Does biochar help farmers?

It can help soils hold water and nutrients, and gives crop residue a use other than burning.

Can biochar generate carbon credits?

Yes, under specific standards after measurement and third-party verification.

How does biochar fit with tree planting?

It complements plantation and agroforestry as another way to store carbon and improve soils.

Other programmes

Biochar projects near you

More guides and local pages for this programme.

Guides to read

Background reading from our blog, picked for this topic.

Visit the learning centre

Questions people ask

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Biochar: locking carbon into the soil

What is biochar?

Trusted by 400+ companies

From the farms we work with

Celebrities and leaders who plant with us

What it changes