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Conference Report: Biochar prospects and challenges: summary of the recent US Biochar Initiative Conference

10.4155/CMT.10.3 © 2010 Future Science Ltd It is predicted that global food production needs will double in order to meet the needs of a growing and more demanding world population by 2050 [1,2]. In addition, the new demand for biofuels is competing with food production [3]. The previous agricultural expansion was accompanied with significant environmental costs such as water eutrophication, extinction of species and crop varieties, and a loss of ecosystem functions. It is uncertain as to whether agriculture, using the ‘green revolution tools’, can expand as it did in the past 50 years. We need ways to restore and maintain soil fertility and optimize nutrient cycling and use efficiency. There are plenty of reasons to assume that environmental damages and declining resources will impair agricultural productivity in the future. Increasing agricultural productivity with declining resources and reduced environmental impact may be one of the greatest challenges facing humankind. According to Tilman et al., an environmentally sustainable, greener revolution is needed [2]. Biochar offers unique options to address the issues emerging from the conflicts and complementarities between cultivating crops for different purposes, such as for energy, carbon sequestration or food. Biochar is carbonized organic matter, which is produced by combusting biomass under a reduced oxygen supply. Carbonization would decelerate the carbon cycle as it increases the halflife of biomass, which would otherwise decompose or be burned. Research and historic evidence has shown that such pyrogenic carbon has important functions in soil fertility. Furthermore, the recalcitrance of carbonized organic materials and its nonfuel use (biochar) as a soil amendment would create a significant carbon sink [4,5]. Although biochar has ancient origins and can be found naturally (Chernozems or Mollisols) and anthropogenically (Terra Preta in the Amazon) modified soils, its incorporation into modern land-use systems is challenging and needs to be scientifically well founded, and be able to pass environmental and lifecycle assessments. Research of biochar systems is a very interdisciplinary field, involving renewable energy generation (pyrolysis or gasification), soil, forestry and agricultural sciences. In addition to scientists, the second US Biochar Initiative Conference (after Boulder, CO, USA, last year) attracted governmental and nongovernmental organizations, waste treatment facilities and entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities in a new developing market. Possible future markets include carbon credits, pyrolysis equipment, newly formulated fertilizers and the marketing of biochar itself. The conference, hosted by Iowa State University (IA, USA) focused on presenting the latest biochar research, deciding next actions and connecting researchers with industry representatives and entrepreneurs. Since it was the US Biochar Initiative Conference, a large proportion of presenters came from US Department of Agriculture (USDA) departments across the nation, but there was also international participation from around the world. Some 261 delegates attended the conference; the program included 76 oral presentations, 31 poster presentations and 14 exhibitors. The presentations covered a wide range of technical, environmental, social and agronomic issues, including: