Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 9
Sustainability Issues in Biomass Feedstock
Production: A Policy Perspective
Jody Endres
Abstract
Demand for energy biomass has led nongovernmental organizations,
industries with interests contrary to biofuels, and even governments to question
whether bioenergy policies truly result in environmental and societal improvements
befi tting of their “bio,” “renewable,” and “green” labels. Environmental concerns
range from potential emissions of greenhouse gas emissions from indirect land-use
change, in some cases making the footprint of biofuels worse than petroleum.
Environmental groups also fear that forests' fragile ecosystems could be threatened
by overharvesting that leads to water pollution and loss of biodiversity and soil
productivity. In addition to environmental harms, social advocates predict that bio-
mass production in developing countries could lead to loss of land tenure/rights, and
labor and employment abuses. Laws and private standards have evolved in response
to these concerns. Challenges remain, however, in implementing biofuels' sustain-
ability standards, such as enabling farmers to practically and economically use prac-
tice and measurement tools, reconciling divergent standards among countries, and
solving the seemingly intractable “food versus fuel” dilemma. This chapter exam-
ines sustainability requirements for biomass-to-bioenergy that have arisen through
the convergence of energy, environmental, agricultural, and forestry policies; exam-
ines core “sustainability” defi nitions in United States, European Union, Brazil, and
private policies; and asks how international policy can reconcile meanings of
sustainability to foster the nascent bioenergy sector.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search