There aren’t many climate solutions that unite Republicans and Democrats in Congress. But there is one topic that does: biochar.

It draws bipartisan support among policy makers and support across the farm community because it’s a practical way to improve soil health, increase agricultural yields, open new markets, conserve water, and create economic opportunities across rural America, as it addresses climate change.

Qualterra’s biomass processing units, shown here near Cheney, convert agricultural waste into carbon-sequestering biochar.
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Biochar is the charred remains formed when plant material is heated in an oxygen-free environment, which scientists call pyrolysis.

Much of the interest in biochar stems from its broad benefits in agriculture and forestry. A growing body of research demonstrates that appropriately processed biochar can build the health and productivity of soil by enhancing its structure, fertility, and capacity to absorb heavy downpours for later use by thirsty crops. It’s a way to add value to organic waste from hops, nut shells, wheat straw, and waste from forest management and sawmills, creating new jobs, businesses, and income in Washington.

One example is Eastern Washington-based Qualterra Inc, which produces biochar from wheat straw and other biomasses at its agriculture regeneration station near Cheney. Trials conducted by Qualterra, in partnership with growers and university extension agents, have demonstrated that plants grown in soils with the company's biochar benefit from enhanced soil microbial activity and overall soil health. Plants grow more vigorously, cutting the time between planting and harvest.

The climate benefits of biochar result from its longevity in soil. Centuries-old biochar from forest and prairie fires is a significant portion of the organic matter in Washington's agricultural soils. Crop residue left on land will decompose and release most of its carbon into the atmosphere in a few years. For forest residues, it takes a few decades. However, the carbon in crop or forest residue converted to biochar produced at over 500 degrees remains in the soil for hundreds to thousands of years. It will not be released by a fire or a change in farming practices. It’s there for the long haul.  

That quasi-permanence has made biochar the leader in the market for long-term carbon removal, in which corporations pay for offsets to their emissions. It accounts for 89% of engineered carbon removal credits, reflecting purchases by Microsoft and other major companies at rates of over $300 or more per ton of biochar. That could provide a new and significant economic boost to rural Washington.

Biochar’s broad benefits have attracted bipartisan support among policymakers. Republicans and Democrats together introduced the Biochar Research Network Act, which would expand federally funded biochar research to close critical knowledge gaps and inform farmers on which types of biochar will have positive results in their soils and circumstances. Congress should include the Act in the next farm bill.

In addition, Congressional appropriators need to do their part by funding biochar research in the final 2025 U.S. Department of Agriculture appropriations bill. Both the House and Senate versions of the USDA appropriations bills include new funding for biochar research, thanks in part to Central Washington’s U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse. The research should be funded at $2.5 million in the final legislation.

Finally, Congress should provide equitable treatment to biochar under the 45Q Carbon Sequestration Tax Credit. It provides tax savings of $130 to $160 per ton of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by direct air capture machines and stored underground. But it provides nothing for biochar, the most cost effective and widely deployed carbon removal technology. Congress should fix that in next year’s tax bill by extending the carbon sequestration tax credit to biochar.

Cheney-based Qualterra supports the tax credit for biochar as well as expanded biochar research by USDA. In its work with 27 research partners across three states, Qualterra has learned that some types of biochar work better than others depending on the crop and soil type. Expanded USDA research would provide growers with science-based knowledge on which types of biochar will work best in their soils and cropping systems. It would help improve their bottom line, grow the market for biochar and apply a practical climate solution on the land.

Supporting biochar makes sense. It is the most cost-effective way to remove carbon from the atmosphere, with the added benefits of enhancing agricultural productivity, decreasing irrigation requirements, and strengthening rural economies. With broad bipartisan support, biochar offers Congress and the presidential administration an opportunity to deliver an economically and environmentally sustainable solution for the agriculture industry.

Chuck Hassebrook leads the Biochar Policy Project of the Butte, Montana-based National Center for Appropriate Technology.