Spatially Explicit Biochar Deployment Enhances Food Security and Advances Carbon Neutrality in China's Staple Crops

Abstract Biochar offers significant potential to improve soil quality, enhance crop productivity, and alleviate environmental risks, all of which are central to sustainable food systems under global change. However, realizing these benefits at scale requires strategic, spatially explicit deployment that considers complex soil‐crop‐climate‐biochar interactions and socioeconomic constraints. Here, we developed an objective‐oriented Biochar Application Priority Index (BAPI) for China's major staple crops using spatially explicit multi‐criteria analysis. We identified high‐priority zones that deliver multiple benefits for crop yield enhancement, soil carbon sequestration, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation, covering 47.1% of upland maize and wheat croplands and 74.3% of rice areas. Guided by the BAPI, approximately 180 Mt yr −1 of biochar supply is sequentially allocated to higher‐priority areas, resulting in yield increases of 16.2–41.6 Mt yr −1 , soil carbon sequestration of 311–326 Mt CO 2 yr −1 , and GHG mitigation of −2.82–8.42 Mt CO 2 ‐eq yr −1 under different scenarios. A strategy employing multi‐objective weighted gradient application rates can achieve substantial co‐benefits for crop yield and climate change mitigation, while delivering economic returns of US$315–582 ha −1 yr −1 . Our work highlights how targeted biochar deployment can help China achieve synergistic progress in food security, agricultural sustainability, and carbon neutrality.