Agricultural waste streams as resource in circular economy for biochar production towards carbon neutrality

In times of depleting resources, there is a quest for new environmental management solutions in a circular economy (CE). Agricultural waste attracts increasing global attention to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for carbon neutrality. Agriculture has unfortunately been connected with stress instigated on the environment like soil degradation and soil leaching. Biomass from agroforestry has been collected to produce biogas and very recently for pyrolysis of the waste for biochar, gas and oil production. Required investments in modern technology are sometimes hard to meet, which hinders the adoption of sustainable technology. Production of biochar through pyrolysis of biomass is, however, considered as an attractive system to meet both environmental and climate concerns. Biomass intermediate pyrolysis poly-generation (BIPP) is presented as a feasible approach for agricultural waste treatment in China. Biochar is in the agroecosystem–climate-change–sustainability nexus that requires local co-creation of sustainable resource management providing possibilities for local energy production.