New Study Refutes Current Models for Biofuel Impact Assessment

A new study by a research group from Netherlands reveals that biofuels are not likely to compromise food production, or cause major deforestation, usually indicated as indirect land use change (ILUC).

The Wageningen-based Biomass Research calculated the land use changes in 34 major biofuel-producing countries based on land use and crop production data from the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

According to the study, increases in land area devoted to biofuel feedstock production were more than offset by productivity gains from food production between 2000 and 2010. These productivity gains were attributed to the use of double cropping practices, yield improvement and other increased efficiencies. The report also notes that during the same period, urbanization and other causes, rather than biofuel feedstock production, were responsible for the loss of much more agricultural land.

The report concluded that current models for evaluating the impact of cultivating crops for biofuel production on land use need improvement to accurately reflect the true benefits of biofuels, especially as public policy continues to evolve without taking into account the significant technological and cultural improvements. The authors also contend that the use of historical data provides a more reliable tool for estimating ILUC and setting bioenergy policy than current modelling studies which use scenario projections.