Agroforestry
with Biochar
THS v1.0 - Annex C
Agroforestry with Biochar integrates trees and crops in a designed multi-layer farming system, then closes the loop by converting woody pruning residues and other on-farm biomass into biochar through pyrolysis, which is returned to the soil as a durable carbon amendment. The result is a system that simultaneously builds living tree biomass carbon, improves soil fertility and water retention through biochar's porous structure, and locks a portion of the system's own carbon into a centuries-stable form - all within one integrated, working farm.
How this pathway works
Agroforestry systems - alley cropping, silvopasture, and other designs that deliberately integrate trees with crops or livestock on the same land - already sequester carbon in growing tree biomass while delivering shade, windbreak, and soil-structure benefits to the associated agricultural system. This pathway adds a second carbon mechanism: woody biomass generated by routine tree pruning, thinning, or end-of-rotation harvest is converted to biochar through pyrolysis, then returned to the soil within the same agroforestry system, both amending the soil and permanently locking a portion of the biomass carbon into a highly stable, aromatic carbon structure resistant to microbial decomposition.
Under the Teravent Hybrid Carbon Standard (THS v1.0) Annex C, this pathway is classified as hybrid because it requires integrated monitoring of both the biological tree-and-crop system and the biochar production-and-application technology component operating within it - tree growth, pruning yield, biochar stability, and soil incorporation must all be jointly assessed under a single project boundary. Teravent Hybrid Credits (THC) are issued for verified net tonnes of CO₂ sequestered across both components, net of full lifecycle project emissions.
Two methodology variants are approved under Annex C, differentiated by the specific agroforestry system design - alley cropping and silvopasture - each with distinct pruning biomass availability and application logistics.
THS v1.0 - Annex C
This pathway is governed exclusively by the Teravent Hybrid Carbon Standard (THS v1.0), the companion standard to TNS v1.0 (Nature) and TTS v1.0 (Technology) purpose-built for systems where biological and engineered carbon mechanisms are integrated and jointly monitored. No external registry, standard, or methodology is referenced or incorporated.
Two approved methodology variants
THS v1.0 Annex C approves two discrete methodology types, differentiated by the specific agroforestry system design and its associated biochar feedstock and application logistics.
Alley cropping plants rows of trees - often nitrogen-fixing species or fruit/timber trees - with wide alleys of annual crops cultivated between them. Routine pruning to manage tree canopy shading and shape provides a steady, predictable biomass feedstock stream, which is converted to biochar via a farm-scale or centralised pyrolysis unit and then incorporated into the cropped alley soil, improving water retention and nutrient cycling for the annual crop while sequestering the pyrolysed carbon fraction long-term.
- Tree biomass growth tracked via periodic allometric measurement and, where feasible, satellite or drone-based remote sensing
- Pruning biomass yield per harvest event, logged as biochar feedstock input
- Biochar H/Corg atomic ratio tested per pyrolysis batch to confirm stability threshold (≤0.4) required for Class II crediting
- Biochar application rate per hectare, metered at ±5% accuracy, and soil incorporation method documented
- Crop yield in the cropped alleys tracked as an agronomic co-benefit indicator
Silvopasture integrates trees into livestock grazing systems, providing shade and forage diversity for animals while building tree biomass carbon on land that would otherwise be open pasture. This methodology adds biochar production from tree pruning and thinning residue, applied to pasture soil to improve forage productivity and water retention, while also providing an additional durable carbon sink complementing the biological tree and soil carbon components already present in well-managed silvopasture systems.
- Tree biomass growth tracked via periodic allometric measurement and remote sensing where feasible
- Grazing intensity and rotation schedule documented to confirm compatibility with tree health and soil biochar retention
- Biochar H/Corg atomic ratio tested per pyrolysis batch to confirm stability threshold required for Class II crediting
- Biochar application rate per hectare, metered at ±5% accuracy
- Forage productivity and pasture soil health tracked as agronomic co-benefit indicators
Which emission sources must be counted
THS v1.0 Module 3 requires a dual-component accounting boundary spanning both the biological tree/crop or tree/livestock system and the biochar production technology component, with a full lifecycle GHG emissions inventory deducted from gross sequestration to arrive at the Net THC figure for each durability class.
Measurement, reporting
& verification
Teravent's Science Advisory Board assesses each pathway against four MRV dimensions. The biochar component of this pathway carries very high measurement confidence given direct laboratory confirmation of stability; the tree biomass component carries the somewhat lower confidence typical of biological carbon pools subject to growth rate and disturbance uncertainty.
The biochar component is verified through the THS H/Corg atomic ratio stability protocol - a laboratory test of the hydrogen-to-organic-carbon ratio of representative biochar samples, with a ratio of 0.4 or below required to qualify for Class II durability crediting (lower ratios indicate greater aromatic carbon stability and microbial resistance). Biochar application rates are metered at ±5% mass accuracy per hectare. The tree biomass component is tracked through periodic allometric growth measurement at representative sample plots, cross-validated against satellite or drone-based remote sensing where available, following standard biological carbon MRV practice shared with TNS v1.0 forestry pathways. Pruning biomass yield feeding the pyrolysis process is logged at each harvest event.
Demonstrating additionality
THS v1.0 Module 2 requires a three-layer baseline: a biological baseline (the farm's tree cover and management practice absent the project), a technology baseline (common practice for biochar production and application), and a combined system net baseline reconciling the two.
Leakage types & deductions
THS v1.0 Module 3 defines three leakage types applicable across all hybrid pathways. Agroforestry with Biochar shares the general biological displacement risks of tree-planting pathways alongside a feedstock-related consideration specific to biochar production.
Buffer pool & NPRR assessment
Annex C credits are issued across two distinct durability classes, each with its own buffer pool rate reflecting different reversal risk profiles - the living tree biomass fraction is subject to biological disturbance risk (fire, disease, harvest), while the biochar fraction, once confirmed stable via laboratory testing, carries substantially lower reversal risk.
| Component | Durability Class | Buffer Pool Rate | Primary Reversal Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFB-M01 / M02 Tree Biomass | Class I | 20–40% | Fire, disease, pest outbreak, premature harvest, land-use reversion |
| AFB-M01 Biochar (Alley Cropping) | Class II | 7–20% | Soil erosion at application site; incomplete pyrolysis reducing stability |
| AFB-M02 Biochar (Silvopasture) | Class II | 7–22% | Livestock trampling disturbing applied biochar; soil erosion on grazed slopes |
Key registration criteria
Projects must meet all of the following minimum requirements to qualify for registration under THS Annex C. Additional methodology-specific requirements are detailed in the Annex C methodology tables for each AFB-M code.
Sustainable Development
Goal alignment
All Teravent registered Agroforestry with Biochar projects must complete an SDG impact assessment at registration and at each verification period. Four SDGs are systematically tracked for this pathway, reflecting its combined agricultural, forestry, and climate dimensions. Projects may apply for any of the eight THS co-benefit quality labels where independently verified indicators are met.
Deployment scope: Global, with particularly strong applicability in smallholder farming regions of Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Latin America, where agroforestry systems are already widely practiced and pruning biomass availability is high.
Ready to register your
agroforestry-biochar project?
Submit a Project Concept Note under THS v1.0 Annex C to begin your registration. Select the AFB-M code matching your system design, establish tree biomass and biochar monitoring, confirm biochar stability via H/Corg testing, and appoint an accredited VVB to validate your PDD and three-layer baseline analysis.