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1Challenge the future
Bioenergy and Food Security
Patricia Osseweijer, Helen Watson, Francis Johnson
Bioenergy and Food Security Working Group• *Patricia Osseweijer, Delft University of Technology, Netherlands
• *Helen Watson, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Francis X. Johnson; Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
• Mateus Batistella, Embrapa, Campinas/SP, Brazil
• Luis A.B. Cortez, University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Brazil
• Lee R. Lynd; Dartmouth College, USA
• Stephen R. Kaffka, University of California, Davis, USA
• Stephen Long; University of Illinois, USA
• Hans van Meijl; Wageningen Univesity, LEI, Netherlands
• Andre M. Nassar; Agroicone, Sao Paulo/SP; Brazil
• Jeremy Woods, Imperial College London, U.K.
*Corresponding Authors
3Challenge the future
• There is enough land available for substantial production of
bioenergy and food for a growing world population,
expansion will be predominantly in Sub Saharan Africa and
Latin America
• There is no inherent causal relation between bioenergy
production and food insecurity
• Bioenergy can improve food production systems and rural
economic development
• Bioenergy can stimulate investments in agricultural
production in poor areas and provide a dynamic switch
system to produce energy or food whenever necessary
• It is our ethical duty to develop and evaluate practices of combined bioenergy and food production in poor areas
Biomass
type/source
Woody
biomass
Herbaceous
biomass
Biomass from
fruits or seeds
Others
(including
mixtures)
Dedicated
Feedstocks
or extraction
Extraction from
native forests,
Forest plantations
Cereals (e.g.
maize, wheat)
Energy grasses
(e.g. sugarcane,
miscanthus)
Oilseed crops
(e.g. jatropha,
sunflower)
Oil fruits (e.g. oil
palm)
(mixed biomass
sources can be
used for some
applications)
Residues
(Direct)
Logging by-
products
Thinning by-
products
Straw, Bagasse,
husks
shells and husks,
fruit bunches
Animal dung,
Landscape
management by-
products
Residues
(Indirect)
Sawmill wastes,
Black liquor (from
pulp/paper
production)
Fibre crop
processing
wastes,
Recycled fibre
products
Food processing
by-products
Waste oils
Bio-sludge,
Slaughterhouse
by-products,
Municipal solid
waste (MSW)
Different types and sources of biomass used for energy(yellow = potential competition with food)
5Challenge the future
• 1,4 Bha of suitable land available for sustainable rain-fed agriculture (presently not used)
• 130-219 Mha needed for population increases • Plus ~ 600 Mha degraded land - biomass opportunities
• Specific bioenergy crops are capable of substantially - increasing organic matter, & nitrogen content of soils, & - decreasing salt, & heavy metal content of soils
improve soil quality & productivity for food crops
• Bioenergy crops as barriers to reduce food loss from animals, & soil erosion by wind & water
Share of Traditional Biomass in Residential Consumption
Source: IEA, World Energy Outlook
2.5 billion people depend on traditional biomass for cooking
The majority of the available land is in areas where technology can improve sustainable practices
Intensity of agricultural cultivation remains low in Latin
America and Africa: would like to use land resources more
productively for food, feed, fuel, fibre, bio-chemicals
And where intensity is presently low…
Biomass & Poverty Belt
RED ARROW = biomass/bioenergy flow
BLUE ARROW = technology and investment flow
Potential geo-economic context for bioenergy, agriculture, development:
flow of bioenergy commodities, technology transfer, investment
Food security is access to
sufficient food by all people, at all
times – in terms of quality,
quantity, and diversity – for an
active and healthy life without risk
of loss of such access
After Seregeldin Former President Worlbank), 2003
Food Security
• Not Just production, also access
• Not Just output, also process
• Not Just technology, also policy
• Not Just global, also national
• Not Just national, also household
• Not Just rural, also urban
• Not Just amount, also content
15Challenge the future
Causal relations?
Food prices linked fossil, fertiliser & civil conflicts
Source: Hsiang et al., Nature 2011
Bioenergy and Food Security: Could modern bioenergy be part of the solution to food security and poverty alleviation?
Poverty
*Rural unemployment
*Lack of marketable skills
*Low currency value
*Degraded land
*Poorly developed Agricultural infrastructure(Physical, market, knowhow)
*Local productionundermined by foreignsubsidies
*High food prices
Factors Contributing to Food Insecurity*
Food Security Impact of Bioenergy ProductionNon-food Crops
Food crops Cropland Non-cropland
Source - adapted by Lee Lynd from: Thurow, R, Kilman, S., 2009.
=positive synergy =conflict =indeterminate=some caution
17Challenge the future
Back in 2003 Ismail Seregeldin (former President Worldbank)
introduced the challenges of the world
• Food• Agriculture• Health• Industry & Environment
In situation of Growing north south divide & rising inequities
The solution:Knowledge & educationBiotechnologyNew partnerships
Obesity in the US and the UK(% of total population)
• 1991 22%
• 2002 30%
• 2025 42%
Source: The Economist, The world in 2002, p.51
23Challenge the future
Social challenges of today
• One out of two children live in poverty
• 75% of poor people live in rural areas
Focus should be on eradication of poverty
This requires science, technology, investment and equal distribution
• Bioenergy can stimulate rural development
• Provide employment, energy security and social development
…needs rethinking of scales and governance…
25Challenge the future
Increase population
28Challenge the future
Nature desasters
30Challenge the future
Inaction is not an option…
• Going on as we do will
• Deteriorate our environment• Increase north-south divide• Increase natural disasters• Increase Food insecurity
The precautionary principle is not a valid nor an ethical choice
31Challenge the future
Time for a different approach
There will be no sustainable world
without social development
32Challenge the future
Back in 2003 Ismail Seregeldin (former President Worldbank)
introduced the challenges of the world
• Food• Agriculture• Health• Industry & Environment
Growing north south divide rising inequities
The solution:Knowledge & educationBiotechnologyNew partnerships
33Challenge the future
And bioenergy!
Bioenergy can make lives betterAlleviate geopolitical issues
Increase food security
It requires good governance, but…
If we can make a better world with bioenergy
it is our duty to make this happen
Read the report!