Accelerating Crop Resilience through Biochar

The Biochar Resilience Network is a collaborative platform that brings together researchers, producer organizations, companies, NGOs, and technical partners working to advance biochar as a tool for soil health, agricultural resilience, and durable carbon removal. The Network provides a structured system for sharing field trial data, technical knowledge, and implementation experience in a pre-competitive environment.

Biochar research and field implementation are often fragmented, inconsistent in methodology, and difficult to compare across regions. Producers and companies frequently repeat small pilots because aggregated, credible, neutral data is not widely available. The Biochar Resilience Network addresses this gap by establishing shared data standards, a governed access system, and a central repository where high-quality, anonymized implementation data can be contributed and accessed.

The Network is convened and governed by a multi-stakeholder group including: the International Biochar Initiative (hosting, governance, and neutrality); Valorize Systems (digital infrastructure for data ingestion and storage); dss+ (technical guidance on parameters and trial design); Coffee & Climate and similar stakeholders (engagement across producer groups and academia); and academic collaborators (data normalization and methodological review).

The Network hosts anonymized datasets from biochar trials and applications across agricultural systems, including: agronomic observations (yield, plant health, soil indicators, water retention); biochar characteristics (feedstock, production temperature, laboratory analysis); application details (rate, method, timing); and contextual information (soil type, elevation, climate zone). A standardized schema ensures consistency and comparability.

Data may be contributed by producer groups, cooperatives, private companies, biochar suppliers, project developers, researchers, NGOs, and farmers. Contributors follow a standardized template and minimum quality requirements. The Network team can assist with mapping existing datasets into the standard format.

Any eligible organization or researcher may request access to datasets for non-commercial purposes that align with the Network's objective of advancing biochar science and agricultural resilience. Requests are reviewed by the Biochar Resilience Network Governing Board, and in some cases by the original data contributor. Approved users access data under the Network's Terms of Service and dataset-specific licensing terms.

There is no fee to contribute data. Fees for accessing data may be free or low-cost depending on the level of support required (raw data access versus curated datasets or analytical services). The Network aims to keep access affordable and aligned with non-commercial, sector-benefit goals.

IBI membership does not automatically provide full access to all datasets. Access depends on the licensing chosen by each data contributor, the user's stated purpose, and the approval of the Governing Board or contributor. IBI members may receive earlier updates and invitations to participate in consultations and events.

All data is anonymized before being shared. Farm names, farmer identities, household information, and precise GPS coordinates are removed or generalized to non-identifying geographic descriptors. Data is stored securely, and no dataset is released without the knowledge and consent of the contributor. All users must agree to the Terms of Service, which prohibit unauthorized sharing or use of data.

The Network maintains records of all contributors, but public attribution is optional. Contributors may choose how they wish to be acknowledged (by name, by region, or anonymously). Regardless of the contributor's preference, individual farms and households are never identifiable in shared datasets.

No identifying locations are shared. Coordinates and farm-level locations are removed or generalized to broader regions or agro-ecological zones. This ensures scientific utility while maintaining farmer privacy.

Unless a dataset is specifically licensed for broader use, most datasets are shared under a non-commercial license such as CC BY-NC-SA. This prohibits using the data for commercial activities such as proprietary model development, commercial site selection, product design, or patent-related work.

Contributed data is cleaned, mapped into the standard schema, anonymized, and stored in the Network's secure repository. Approved users may access it under the Terms of Service. If the data is used in a peer-reviewed publication and after an embargo period (typically at least one year from upload), the dataset may be released publicly under its non-commercial license with contributor approval.

Sharing summaries of approved proposals promotes transparency and collaboration. It helps researchers understand how data is being used, reduces duplication, and encourages complementary studies. When proposals are rejected, general reasons may be communicated to illustrate governance standards without referencing individual identities.

The Network maintains a standardized data schema with clear variable definitions, unit requirements, and documentation expectations. Academic and technical partners help refine the schema and support contributors in preparing data. This creates a consistent, comparable body of evidence across diverse geographies and project types.

Interested contributors can contact the Biochar Resilience Network directly. They will receive submission guidelines, schemas, and the Data Sharing Agreement. Support is available for preparing or formatting datasets as required.

Yes. Access to datasets requires submission of a short proposal outlining the intended use, the team involved, and any potential conflicts of interest. The Governing Board reviews proposals to ensure alignment with the Network's mission and to safeguard contributor interests.