Review Paper on the Proper Choice of Bioenergy Crops for Harmonized Land Usage

Increasing demand in food and energy, compounded with the dwindling fossil energy reserves, has prompted land usage competition between food and bioenergy crops. In order to minimize the impending land competition, scientists from Aberystwyth University (United Kingdom) recently reviewed land competition between food and bioenergy crops and proposed suitable bioenergy crops capable of maintaining "harmonized" land usage.

In their review, the researchers set a vision for suitable bioenergy crops in terms of four major gains for society: (1) a reduction in carbon emissions from the substitution of fossil fuels with appropriate energy crops, (2) a significant contribution to energy security by reductions in fossil fuel dependence, (3) new options that stimulate rural and urban economic development, and (4) reduced dependence of global agriculture on fossil fuels.   In addition, food-related factors are taken into consideration in the selection of a suitable bioenergy crop such as: (1) food requirements, (2) the economics of energy crops on less favorable land, (3) gains in productivity of crop and animal production, (4) the effects of reducing meat production, and (5) the economic value of bioenergy production in terms of its value for energy and the value of carbon emissions saved.

According to the researchers, there must be a shift of bioenergy crops to dedicated perennial crops, in order to avoid the impending land competition.Compared to the first generation bioenergy crops (such as grain, tuber and oilseed crops), these energy crops do not require agrochemical inputs, help avoid the destruction of native forests and minimize competition with primary food production. The full paper is published in the journal, Global Change Biology: Bioenergy (URL above).