In a meta-analysis of biochar plus fertilizer treatments, yields rose by about 25.3% on average compared to no biochar application, according to Shahla et al on the article ‘’Combined effects of biochar and fertilizer applications on yield: A review and meta-analysis'’ For each ton of biochar produced, it can remove approximately 2 to 3 tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂eq) from the atmosphere. Some studies estimate a wider range, from 1.5 up to 4 tCO₂eq ,depending on the feedstock type, production temperature, and end-use application (e.g., soil amendment, construction material, or carbon storage).
Beyond its agricultural benefits, biochar is also recognized as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology, with the potential to generate carbon credits under standards such as CIS and Puro.Earth. These credits, once sold on national or international carbon markets, can help establish viable biochar business models and offer farmers additional income for managing crop waste sustainably.
Ghana is emerging as a focal point for pilot biochar projects that aim to turn crop residues and processing waste into value. Several recent initiatives, from smallholder-focused distributed production pilots to industrial-scale conversions of processing by-products, demonstrate biochar’s potential to sequester carbon, improve soil fertility, and create new revenue streams for farmers and processors.
Projects run by international and local partners in Ghana have reported substantial sequestration potential and on-farm productivity improvements when biochar is properly produced and applied.
At Swisscontact Ghana, biochar aligns strongly with our umbrella approach, which integrates sustainability across multiple pillars, including circular economy, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy. Through this lens, biochar serves as both a soil health solution and a waste-to-value innovation, turning agricultural residues into an economic and environmental asset. By working with private partners, we are transforming crop by-products into opportunities that enhance farmer resilience, improve productivity, and contribute to long-term carbon reduction efforts.
Two interventions currently drive this work, one decentralized and one centralized, each designed to meet the needs of different farming systems.
Swisscontact Ghana is working on the C-Fruit project, a potential project with HPW which seeks to promote inclusive and sustainable fruit value chains with smallholder farmers cultivating mango, coconut, and pineapple in Adeiso and Somanya.
As part of this project, Swisscontact and HPW will be introducing on-farm decentralized biochar units that enable farmers to convert fruit residues and pruning waste into biochar. The biochar produced locally can then be applied on farmers’ fields as a soil amendment and biofertilizer, improving soil fertility and crop productivity. Alternatively, it can be sold to other farmers or local markets, creating a new income-generating opportunity within the C-Fruit network. The approach strengthens the C-Fruit project’s commitment to business inclusivity by equipping smallholder farmers with climate-smart tools that increase their productivity and resilience.
The model creates a circular economy within the C-Fruit system, waste generated on farms is returned to the soil as a nutrient-rich amendment. This not only enhances soil fertility and water retention but also reduces open burning, improving both environmental and economic outcomes for farmers.
The second initiative involves a new partnership with Sustainology, focusing on establishing a centralized biochar production facility in Akuse. The partnership agreement, signed on 7 October 2025, marks the start of a significant new phase in Ghana’s biochar journey. This pilot will aggregate feedstock from farmers cultivating annual crops to test the technical performance of the production unit, establish an efficient feedstock transportation system, and assess the purity of the resulting biochar for potential future certification under standards such as CIS or Puro.Earth. Through this partnership, the biochar initiative will demonstrate how decentralized pyrolysis units can convert agricultural residues into stable carbon while simultaneously producing biochar for soil enrichment, enhancing farm productivity, and creating new income opportunities.
The project will deploy WasteX Model Y v2.3 pyrolysis systems, which are endorsed under CSI as suitable for artisan-scale carbon removal. Each system has a throughput capacity of 30– 80 kilograms of feedstock per hour and can produce approximately 98.9 tonnes of biochar per year under standard operating conditions (eight hours per day, 300 days per year). The systems operate at 500–650 °C, optimizing for stable carbon yield and minimizing methane emissions.
Upon successful completion of the pilot phase, the decentralized biochar production units will be scaled across HPW’s wider farmer network, extending both environmental and livelihood benefits to more smallholder farmers. A scaling plan targeting 200 production units is already in preparation, underscoring HPW and Swisscontact’s commitment to expanding sustainable, circular practices across the agricultural value chain.
Together, these two models, decentralized and centralized, represent complementary pathways for scaling biochar. They empower smallholder farmers to act locally while also supporting industrial-level production that can reach broader markets.
Through these interventions, Swisscontact Ghana and its partners are helping to transform agricultural waste into a resource that supports climate action, strengthens rural livelihoods, and drives a more circular, sustainable economy.