North American Biochar Council
North American Biochar Council (NABC), doing business as the American Biochar Institute (ABI), provides education, technical assistance, standards development, and applied research supporting producers, end-users, and policymakers across agriculture, industry, and the built environment.
American Biochar Institute
American Biochar Institute (ABI) is the operating name under which North American Biochar Council conducts its work. All programs, publications, and services on this website — including standards development, technical assistance, education, and the North American Biochar Conference — are activities of North American Biochar Council, doing business as American Biochar Institute. ABI was adopted to better reflect a maturing biochar industry and its growing need for consistent, trusted standards.
Mission
American Biochar Institute exists to accelerate the responsible adoption of biochar across agriculture, industry, and urban applications. Through standards development, technical assistance, education, and applied research, American Biochar Institute provides the independent knowledge and tools that help producers build markets and end-users procure with confidence.
Legal name: North American Biochar Council
DBA: American Biochar Institute (ABI)
Website: www.biochar.org
American Biochar Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
EIN: 99-3828302
Address: 1120 SE Madison Street, Portland, OR 97214
Focus
We are laser focused on growing the use and understanding of biochar.
Trust
We use evidence-based knowledge to advance the responsible adoption of biochar.
Efficacy
Our team’s deep domain expertise allows us to efficiently identify and leverage opportunities that advance biochar awareness, expertise, and knowledge while creating economic opportunities for the adoption of biochar.
Collaboration
ABI provides education, technical assistance, standards development, and applied research supporting producers, end-users, and policymakers across agriculture, industry, and the built environment.
The history of American Biochar Institute
The U.S. Biochar Initiative was established in 2009 and formally incorporated in 2010 to accelerate biochar use and production across North America, delivering professional education and training, outreach, free technical assistance, and applied research partnerships to advance the ecological and economic benefits the biochar industry offers.
In 2024, that work transitioned into a new organization, the North American Biochar Council, dba USBI, which the IRS recognized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity. In March 2026, the North American Biochar Council adopted the name American Biochar Institute to better reflect, represent, and respond to a maturing biochar industry and its needs.
American Biochar Institute hosts the North American Biochar Conference, an industry convening for leaders, researchers, producers, policymakers, and investors.
ABI thanks the USDA Forest Service, Wood Innovations Program for continued partnership for its activities and publications. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
ABI is supported in part by The United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities, Inc. The Endowment is a not-for-profit corporation that works collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities.