"We row in the same direction to support the growth of the biochar industry in North America"

The American Biochar Institute (ABI) and the US Biochar Coalition (USBC) will jointly host the 2026 North American Biochar Conference (NABC) in New Orleans from 16 to 18 November, bringing together leaders from across the biochar sector for the first time under a shared organisational banner.

The partnership marks a significant shift in the relationship between the two bodies, which had previously operated in tension. "Three years ago, when I started at American Biochar Institute, things were really different," said Myles Gray, Executive Director of ABI. "There was tension and a complete lack of trust between the two organisations. Fast forward three years, and things couldn't be more different as we row in the same direction to support the growth of the biochar industry in North America." Under the arrangement, ABI will lead on standards and end-use markets while USBC focuses on policy.

© Biochar Conference

Policy talks shift toward implementation
The division of roles reflects how both organisations approached a joint Washington D.C. fly-in in late March, where dozens of meetings with House and Senate offices and federal agencies confirmed a shift in federal posture toward biochar from awareness to implementation. Policy dialogues covered NRCS and US Forest Service grant and incentive programmes, as well as the EPA's evolving regulatory framework for biochar production and application.

"We are thrilled to partner on the North American Biochar Conference," said Maureen Walsh, Executive Director of USBC. "The NABC serves as the essential hub for biochar innovation and cross-sector collaboration. By fostering this environment, we are capturing the true momentum of our industry and providing the structured, collaborative roadmap necessary for professionals to scale their impact."

© Biochar Conference
Myles Gray, Executive Director of ABI, and Maureen Walsh, Executive Director of USBC

Standards and tools heading into New Orleans
The conference agenda will reflect work ABI has advanced over the past year, including the ANSI/ASABE/USBI S668 standard for biochar measurement and testing, which sets the framework for consistent, comparable data across the supply chain.

Also in development is the Biochar Atlas, an online classification tool that will allow users to input a biochar's physical and chemical properties and classify it across categories, including carbon storage potential, fertilizer value, liming capacity, and particle size.

Growing with Biochar
The 2026 conference will focus on end-use applications, standards, and pathways for scaling adoption through public and private investment. Attendees will include policymakers, farmers, engineers, researchers, and corporate stakeholders. Controlled environment operators looking to explore biochar's potential as a substrate component can also follow ABI's Growing with Biochar training programme, which continues through 2026.

The NABC has been held annually since 2009 and is expected to draw approximately 1,000 professionals this year. More information about the North American Biochar Conference is available at www.biocharconference.com

For more information:
American Biochar Institute
Elza Vucane, Communications Support
[email protected]
www.biochar.org

US Biochar Coalition
Deirdre Seling
[email protected]
www.usbiocharcoalition.org