Global warming and food security have been significant issues in the field of sustainable development. Several studies have shown that biochar amendments markedly contribute to mitigating global warming and food crises and produce beneficial win-win effects. This is mainly because of the high stability and carbon content of biochar, which can enhance the storage of soil carbon and the physical and chemical properties of soil, consequently resulting in increased yields. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to examine previous studies on the efficacy of biochar as a soil amendment and to analyze the intrinsic factors that affect soil carbon reserve and agronomic benefits (including:feedstock, pyrolysis temperature, application rate and soil type). On the basis of the results obtained, a suitable application criterion was proposed, which has shown potential efficiency in carbon sequestration as well as agronomic benefits:biochar derived from pyrolysis of biomass from forestry and harvest residues at a temperature of 300-700℃, with a relatively low dosage of no more than 5%. Finally, we propose future research directions for a better understanding of the effects of biochar on carbon sequestration potential, soil fertility and crop growth.