Helena Paul, Econexus, and Les Levidow, Open University, give a STEPS Centre seminar on global biofuel crops; integrating an agri-energy industry, driving dispossession.
This document discusses the integration of second-generation bioenergy crops into farming systems as a way to avoid competition for land between food and fuel production. It provides an example from New Zealand where Miscanthus grass is grown as shelterbelts on dairy farms. The shelterbelts provide multiple ecosystem services, including shelter for livestock, a harvestable crop, and habitat for beneficial insects. Farms with Miscanthus shelterbelts showed increased pasture yields from reduced evapotranspiration in sheltered areas and positive impacts on soil and insects. By producing bioenergy as a co-product of dairy farming, the need to replace food-productive land is reduced. The ecosystem services provided by integrated bioenergy crops can improve farming sustainability and
Agricultural problems in India are diverse and complex with historical and emerging challenges. A document discusses several key issues: low agricultural productivity due to small landholdings and lack of information; impediments to domestic/export sales from food safety/infrastructure issues; exploitation from the minimum support price system and market intermediaries; and lack of access to insurance/finances exacerbating risks from unpredictable weather. Potential solutions proposed include sustainable "green revolutions" in organic farming; expanding agricultural research/technology; building farmer capacity and rural infrastructure; developing food processing; modifying pricing policies; and increasing access to insurance/finances through programs and mobile technologies. Comprehensive investments in research, rural development and farmer skills are emphasized to address India
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: Uruguay Case Study by Wal...ExternalEvents
The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture webinar aims to support UNFCCC focal points, agriculture negotiators and other relevant agriculture sector stakeholders to prepare for effective engagement in upcoming Subsidiary Body meetings on advancing the Koronivia joint work on agriculture. This presentation is a country case study of Uruguay by Walter Oyhantçabal
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: FAO perspective by Martia...FAO
The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture webinar aims to support UNFCCC focal points, agriculture negotiators and other relevant agriculture sector stakeholders to prepare for effective engagement in upcoming Subsidiary Body meetings on advancing the Koronivia joint work on agriculture. This slideshow presented the FAO perspective by Martial Bernoux.
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: UNFCCC Perspective by Dir...ExternalEvents
The document summarizes a presentation on the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture under the UNFCCC. It provides a history of agriculture-related work starting in 2008 and leading to Decision 4/CP.23 in 2017. This decision established a joint work program under the SBSTA and SBI on six broad focus areas of agriculture. Parties and observers are invited to submit their views on elements to include in this work. The SBSTA and SBI are requested to report back to COP 26 in 2020. Immediate next steps include submissions from parties in March 2018 on priorities and continued communication among parties.
Joachim von Braun, Director, Center for Development Research (ZEF) and Professor, Economics and Technical Change, University of Bonn
POLICY SEMINAR
Bioeconomy – the new transformation of agriculture, food, and bio-based industries – implications for emerging economies
OCT 24, 2017 - 12:15 PM TO 01:15 PM EDT
At the coalface: GEF"s biodiversity mainstreaming journey ExternalEvents
- The document summarizes the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) experience with biodiversity mainstreaming projects and key lessons learned.
- A review of past mainstreaming projects found that projects with spatial planning, flexible design, strong teams, and engagement with stakeholders had more success in achieving outcomes.
- Specifically, projects that integrated protected areas with surrounding production landscapes showed high progress. Policy projects in agriculture and forestry did not clearly demonstrate biodiversity benefits.
- Key recommendations for GEF's next funding period include focusing on spatial planning, improved theories of change, private sector engagement, and linking mainstreaming efforts to protected area conservation goals and landscapes.
The document discusses biofuels development in Africa from the perspective of a developing country. It notes that while biofuels can enhance energy security and reduce dependence on oil imports, their production risks displacing food crops and increasing food prices. As global biofuel demand is projected to rapidly increase, Africa is seen as a target region for expansion, but this could worsen poverty and food insecurity if not properly managed. The document argues that a balanced approach is needed where technologies increase agricultural productivity to meet both food and fuel needs, and where countries undertake research to guide biofuel policy and regulate the industry in a way that equitably distributes costs and benefits.
This document discusses the integration of second-generation bioenergy crops into farming systems as a way to avoid competition for land between food and fuel production. It provides an example from New Zealand where Miscanthus grass is grown as shelterbelts on dairy farms. The shelterbelts provide multiple ecosystem services, including shelter for livestock, a harvestable crop, and habitat for beneficial insects. Farms with Miscanthus shelterbelts showed increased pasture yields from reduced evapotranspiration in sheltered areas and positive impacts on soil and insects. By producing bioenergy as a co-product of dairy farming, the need to replace food-productive land is reduced. The ecosystem services provided by integrated bioenergy crops can improve farming sustainability and
Agricultural problems in India are diverse and complex with historical and emerging challenges. A document discusses several key issues: low agricultural productivity due to small landholdings and lack of information; impediments to domestic/export sales from food safety/infrastructure issues; exploitation from the minimum support price system and market intermediaries; and lack of access to insurance/finances exacerbating risks from unpredictable weather. Potential solutions proposed include sustainable "green revolutions" in organic farming; expanding agricultural research/technology; building farmer capacity and rural infrastructure; developing food processing; modifying pricing policies; and increasing access to insurance/finances through programs and mobile technologies. Comprehensive investments in research, rural development and farmer skills are emphasized to address India
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: Uruguay Case Study by Wal...ExternalEvents
The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture webinar aims to support UNFCCC focal points, agriculture negotiators and other relevant agriculture sector stakeholders to prepare for effective engagement in upcoming Subsidiary Body meetings on advancing the Koronivia joint work on agriculture. This presentation is a country case study of Uruguay by Walter Oyhantçabal
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: FAO perspective by Martia...FAO
The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture webinar aims to support UNFCCC focal points, agriculture negotiators and other relevant agriculture sector stakeholders to prepare for effective engagement in upcoming Subsidiary Body meetings on advancing the Koronivia joint work on agriculture. This slideshow presented the FAO perspective by Martial Bernoux.
Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture Global Webinar: UNFCCC Perspective by Dir...ExternalEvents
The document summarizes a presentation on the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture under the UNFCCC. It provides a history of agriculture-related work starting in 2008 and leading to Decision 4/CP.23 in 2017. This decision established a joint work program under the SBSTA and SBI on six broad focus areas of agriculture. Parties and observers are invited to submit their views on elements to include in this work. The SBSTA and SBI are requested to report back to COP 26 in 2020. Immediate next steps include submissions from parties in March 2018 on priorities and continued communication among parties.
Joachim von Braun, Director, Center for Development Research (ZEF) and Professor, Economics and Technical Change, University of Bonn
POLICY SEMINAR
Bioeconomy – the new transformation of agriculture, food, and bio-based industries – implications for emerging economies
OCT 24, 2017 - 12:15 PM TO 01:15 PM EDT
At the coalface: GEF"s biodiversity mainstreaming journey ExternalEvents
- The document summarizes the Global Environment Facility's (GEF) experience with biodiversity mainstreaming projects and key lessons learned.
- A review of past mainstreaming projects found that projects with spatial planning, flexible design, strong teams, and engagement with stakeholders had more success in achieving outcomes.
- Specifically, projects that integrated protected areas with surrounding production landscapes showed high progress. Policy projects in agriculture and forestry did not clearly demonstrate biodiversity benefits.
- Key recommendations for GEF's next funding period include focusing on spatial planning, improved theories of change, private sector engagement, and linking mainstreaming efforts to protected area conservation goals and landscapes.
The document discusses biofuels development in Africa from the perspective of a developing country. It notes that while biofuels can enhance energy security and reduce dependence on oil imports, their production risks displacing food crops and increasing food prices. As global biofuel demand is projected to rapidly increase, Africa is seen as a target region for expansion, but this could worsen poverty and food insecurity if not properly managed. The document argues that a balanced approach is needed where technologies increase agricultural productivity to meet both food and fuel needs, and where countries undertake research to guide biofuel policy and regulate the industry in a way that equitably distributes costs and benefits.
FAO believes that reconciling food and fuel production is complex with no simple solutions. While some argue that using food crops for fuel is always bad, the reality is more nuanced. Flex crops and integrated food-energy systems could potentially increase both food and fuel production without competition if yields are improved. There is likely enough land for increased biofuel production globally at 5-8% of arable land, but land governance is important, and competition over land use must be carefully managed. Biofuels' impacts on food prices are unclear and depend on local conditions. FAO has developed tools to help assess sustainability at various levels and promote best practices. Overall, FAO argues that sustainably producing both food and fuel is possible but
This document reviews the impacts of biofuel use, including technical, social, economic, and environmental impacts. Technically, biodiesel blends of up to 20% can be used in diesel engines with minimal impact on performance. Socially, biofuel production can generate rural employment and promote regional growth, though there are concerns about competition for agricultural land and impacts on food security. Economically, biofuels affect food and energy prices and security. Environmentally, biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels. A balanced assessment of impacts is needed when developing biofuel policy.
Developments in bio refinery and its impact on pulp and paper industryArivalagan Arumugam
The document discusses developments in bio-refineries and their impact on the pulp and paper industry. It outlines how environmental and energy security concerns are driving the use of renewable resources for fuel production. Technological advances now allow biomass to be converted into biofuels, power, and chemicals through integrated biorefining processes. Global biofuel production is over 100 billion liters annually, with various feedstocks and conversion technologies used. Commercial biorefineries have been established in many countries. This impacts pulp and paper industries that also use some biomass feedstocks.
It is absolutely essential to eliminate any advert policies or legal framework in the world market posted by Oil giants that could affect bf production adversely. Oil companies can set a syndicated price (lowering price) alluring customers to depend on petroleum. Another important issue to stabilize the bf market is introduction of international standards and/or certification schemes. Legislations, mandates, policies i.e. blending mandates, government purchasing policies, and support of bio fuel-compatible infrastructure and technologies have been most successful in creating a consistent bf market. But other policies, loan guarantees, tax incentives for consumers and manufacturers, and direct industry subsidies, should be phased out to make bf production a self-sustained commodity as in Brazil and Germany. The necessity of certification in case of mass production of bio-fuel has become imperative with the growth of the industry. Some existing schemes are International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Rainforest Alliance’s Standard for Sustainable Agriculture in Latin America; organic certification and labeling schemes, Forest Stewardship Council’s international forest certification system; UK environmental assurance programme linked to the country’s renewable fuels obligation; and the newly established Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. In case of selecting schemes the following issues should be concerned 1. Select the most appropriate standards or certification approach possible: Laws or regulations, voluntary certification schemes, or criteria to qualify for subsidies or incentive programmes, 2. Achieve consensus among diverse stakeholders about basic underlying principles: consultation and participation in the process to make the system credible in the marketplace, 3. Design and adopt specific quantifiable criteria for sustainability indicators: The legislations should be flexible enough to be adapted to the particular requirements of a region, 4. Ensure that compliance with the criteria is enforceable in practice, without generating high additional costs: Issues of cost and who pays are critical to the success of a certification programme, 5. Avoid leakage effects: when crop production activities are expanded, leakage could occur disturbing natural habitats, increasing CO2 emissions from soil or other environmental impacts, and 6. Establish a system for monitoring and reporting : System for measuring and reporting on energy efficiency and on the carbon and energy balances of the resulting fuels
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through National Policies and Legislation ExternalEvents
This document summarizes biodiversity mainstreaming efforts in Vietnam. It outlines Vietnam's biodiversity, including ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. It also describes national policies and legislation that integrate biodiversity conservation, such as the National Green Growth Strategy and biodiversity action plans. Finally, it discusses the institutional structure for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam and highlights opportunities and challenges to successful mainstreaming, including demonstrating biodiversity's economic value and strengthening cross-ministry collaboration.
The document discusses the challenges of climate change and ensuring global food security. It argues that agriculture must be appropriately integrated into climate change agreements to address both climate change in the context of food security and food security in the context of climate change. Climate change is projected to reduce production of key crops like rice, maize and wheat by 2050 according to the models discussed, which could significantly increase food prices and malnutrition. Investments in agricultural adaptation and mitigation totaling $7 billion annually are needed to counteract the effects of climate change.
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through National Policies and Legislation ExternalEvents
1) The document discusses mainstreaming biodiversity through national policies and legislation. It outlines how biodiversity fosters productive capacities in sectors like agriculture but these sectors also exert pressure on biodiversity.
2) It provides an overview of different policy instruments that can be used for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, including regulatory approaches, economic instruments, and voluntary approaches. It also gives examples of some instruments and programs.
3) The presentation emphasizes that biodiversity mainstreaming is important for sustainable development and outlines some of the OECD's work in this area, including analyzing barriers to policy reform and providing guidance for countries.
Public Financing For Sustainable Palm OilCIFOR-ICRAF
Presented by Dewa Ekayana, Fiscal Policy Agency-RCCC UI at GCRF Trade Hub Webinar - Towards global green deals: Sustainable trade in palm oil, coffee and songbirds in Indonesia on 20 January 2022.
This document discusses mainstreaming biodiversity into IFAD investments. It notes that IFAD aims to pursue multiple-benefit approaches that enhance biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Specific challenges for IFAD beneficiaries in marginal environments with low incomes and market connections include historically relying on low-input agriculture. The document explores means for biodiversity-related investments, such as IFAD grants to NGOs for research, but notes challenges with scaling pathways. Biodiversity impacts discussed include projects supporting forest and natural resource management that provide insights around tenure, time, and building social capital.
The document discusses key actions needed to make agriculture more sustainable and resilient to climate change. It summarizes that agricultural policies and investments must be integrated into climate and development goals. Specifically, it calls for raising global investment in sustainable agriculture, intensifying production sustainably while reducing emissions, assisting vulnerable populations, shaping food systems to ensure nutrition, reducing food loss and waste, and decreasing differences between rich and poor countries.
The document summarizes a workshop on mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture. It discusses the TEEB initiative and TEEBAgriFood study, which aims to provide a comprehensive economic evaluation of agricultural systems and demonstrate how the economic environment distorts considerations of natural and social capital. It also presents three scenarios for the expansion of agriculture and conversion of land in the Maasai Steppe region, and notes the TEEB approach involves recognizing natural value through ecosystem services, demonstrating value through economic tools, and capturing value by incorporating benefits into decision-making.
Value Chain Analysis for Sustainable Rural Development
by: Ivan Idrovo and Marian Boquiren.
Contracted by: GIZ-Department of Agriculture-NCI-Philippines
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through Incentives and Investments: The Case for A...ExternalEvents
This document discusses mainstreaming agricultural biodiversity through incentives and investments. It argues that conservation strategies for wild and agricultural biodiversity are largely pursued separately despite their interdependencies. Only 30% of national biodiversity strategic action plans include details on agrobiodiversity conservation and use. The document highlights examples from Brazil of using school feeding programs and market incentives to promote consumption of nutrient-rich native species. It also discusses the benefits of maintaining forest borders around coffee fields to reduce crop pests by attracting predators like the yellow warbler. The document advocates for payment programs that reward farmers for conserving crop wild relatives and genetic resources and outlines threats to forest foods in Burkina Faso mapped through a multi-threat model. In the end,
International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security (2007)RAFI-USA
Contains Issues Paper: Organic Agriculture and Access to Food by Michael Sligh and Carolyn Christman. This paper was presented by RAFI staff at the May 2007 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security. 3-5 May 2007. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy.
This presentation addresses options to make public support for to agriculture climate smart. The presentation was held by Martien van Nieuwkoop, Director of Agriculture Global Practice at the World Bank at the Food Systems Finance Advantage event, part of the Agriculture Advantage 2.0 series at COP24.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Nepal Agricultural Economics Society (NAES) are jointly organizing Annual Conference of Nepal Agricultural Economics Society on February 13-14, 2015 at Conference Hall, Trade Tower, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal. During the annual conference of NAES, a special session on “Convergences of Policies and Programs relating to Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture” is being organized. The aim of this special session is to showcase the studies and experiences in South Asian countries on climate resilient agriculture and how they can learn from each other to formulate progressive and sustainable policies to promote climate smart agriculture in a regional perspective.
The document discusses the challenges of climate change for agriculture and food security. It argues that resources and research need to focus on helping poor rural communities adapt. International climate agreements could impact food security depending on how agriculture is treated and funds are allocated. The document proposes specific policy actions and Copenhagen agreement language around incentivizing agricultural mitigation, increasing adaptation investment, and establishing a public technology network focused on climate-smart agriculture.
Challenges and Opportunities of Biogas Production in the European UnionPatrice Djoko Noumodje
The production of renewable energy form agricultural resources competes with food production for land, water and soil nutrients. The increased demand for energy crop may raise global land use change including greenhouse gas emissions and cause food insecurity in several regions. Sustainability of EU biogas production relies on both future agriculture and energy production systems and decision tools that allow farmers to self-control their practices so as to achieve their economic goals and minimize the impact of activities on environment and food security and decision makers to assign supports based on proper understandings of risks.
FAO believes that reconciling food and fuel production is complex with no simple solutions. While some argue that using food crops for fuel is always bad, the reality is more nuanced. Flex crops and integrated food-energy systems could potentially increase both food and fuel production without competition if yields are improved. There is likely enough land for increased biofuel production globally at 5-8% of arable land, but land governance is important, and competition over land use must be carefully managed. Biofuels' impacts on food prices are unclear and depend on local conditions. FAO has developed tools to help assess sustainability at various levels and promote best practices. Overall, FAO argues that sustainably producing both food and fuel is possible but
This document reviews the impacts of biofuel use, including technical, social, economic, and environmental impacts. Technically, biodiesel blends of up to 20% can be used in diesel engines with minimal impact on performance. Socially, biofuel production can generate rural employment and promote regional growth, though there are concerns about competition for agricultural land and impacts on food security. Economically, biofuels affect food and energy prices and security. Environmentally, biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels. A balanced assessment of impacts is needed when developing biofuel policy.
Developments in bio refinery and its impact on pulp and paper industryArivalagan Arumugam
The document discusses developments in bio-refineries and their impact on the pulp and paper industry. It outlines how environmental and energy security concerns are driving the use of renewable resources for fuel production. Technological advances now allow biomass to be converted into biofuels, power, and chemicals through integrated biorefining processes. Global biofuel production is over 100 billion liters annually, with various feedstocks and conversion technologies used. Commercial biorefineries have been established in many countries. This impacts pulp and paper industries that also use some biomass feedstocks.
It is absolutely essential to eliminate any advert policies or legal framework in the world market posted by Oil giants that could affect bf production adversely. Oil companies can set a syndicated price (lowering price) alluring customers to depend on petroleum. Another important issue to stabilize the bf market is introduction of international standards and/or certification schemes. Legislations, mandates, policies i.e. blending mandates, government purchasing policies, and support of bio fuel-compatible infrastructure and technologies have been most successful in creating a consistent bf market. But other policies, loan guarantees, tax incentives for consumers and manufacturers, and direct industry subsidies, should be phased out to make bf production a self-sustained commodity as in Brazil and Germany. The necessity of certification in case of mass production of bio-fuel has become imperative with the growth of the industry. Some existing schemes are International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), Rainforest Alliance’s Standard for Sustainable Agriculture in Latin America; organic certification and labeling schemes, Forest Stewardship Council’s international forest certification system; UK environmental assurance programme linked to the country’s renewable fuels obligation; and the newly established Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. In case of selecting schemes the following issues should be concerned 1. Select the most appropriate standards or certification approach possible: Laws or regulations, voluntary certification schemes, or criteria to qualify for subsidies or incentive programmes, 2. Achieve consensus among diverse stakeholders about basic underlying principles: consultation and participation in the process to make the system credible in the marketplace, 3. Design and adopt specific quantifiable criteria for sustainability indicators: The legislations should be flexible enough to be adapted to the particular requirements of a region, 4. Ensure that compliance with the criteria is enforceable in practice, without generating high additional costs: Issues of cost and who pays are critical to the success of a certification programme, 5. Avoid leakage effects: when crop production activities are expanded, leakage could occur disturbing natural habitats, increasing CO2 emissions from soil or other environmental impacts, and 6. Establish a system for monitoring and reporting : System for measuring and reporting on energy efficiency and on the carbon and energy balances of the resulting fuels
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through National Policies and Legislation ExternalEvents
This document summarizes biodiversity mainstreaming efforts in Vietnam. It outlines Vietnam's biodiversity, including ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. It also describes national policies and legislation that integrate biodiversity conservation, such as the National Green Growth Strategy and biodiversity action plans. Finally, it discusses the institutional structure for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam and highlights opportunities and challenges to successful mainstreaming, including demonstrating biodiversity's economic value and strengthening cross-ministry collaboration.
The document discusses the challenges of climate change and ensuring global food security. It argues that agriculture must be appropriately integrated into climate change agreements to address both climate change in the context of food security and food security in the context of climate change. Climate change is projected to reduce production of key crops like rice, maize and wheat by 2050 according to the models discussed, which could significantly increase food prices and malnutrition. Investments in agricultural adaptation and mitigation totaling $7 billion annually are needed to counteract the effects of climate change.
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through National Policies and Legislation ExternalEvents
1) The document discusses mainstreaming biodiversity through national policies and legislation. It outlines how biodiversity fosters productive capacities in sectors like agriculture but these sectors also exert pressure on biodiversity.
2) It provides an overview of different policy instruments that can be used for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, including regulatory approaches, economic instruments, and voluntary approaches. It also gives examples of some instruments and programs.
3) The presentation emphasizes that biodiversity mainstreaming is important for sustainable development and outlines some of the OECD's work in this area, including analyzing barriers to policy reform and providing guidance for countries.
Public Financing For Sustainable Palm OilCIFOR-ICRAF
Presented by Dewa Ekayana, Fiscal Policy Agency-RCCC UI at GCRF Trade Hub Webinar - Towards global green deals: Sustainable trade in palm oil, coffee and songbirds in Indonesia on 20 January 2022.
This document discusses mainstreaming biodiversity into IFAD investments. It notes that IFAD aims to pursue multiple-benefit approaches that enhance biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. Specific challenges for IFAD beneficiaries in marginal environments with low incomes and market connections include historically relying on low-input agriculture. The document explores means for biodiversity-related investments, such as IFAD grants to NGOs for research, but notes challenges with scaling pathways. Biodiversity impacts discussed include projects supporting forest and natural resource management that provide insights around tenure, time, and building social capital.
The document discusses key actions needed to make agriculture more sustainable and resilient to climate change. It summarizes that agricultural policies and investments must be integrated into climate and development goals. Specifically, it calls for raising global investment in sustainable agriculture, intensifying production sustainably while reducing emissions, assisting vulnerable populations, shaping food systems to ensure nutrition, reducing food loss and waste, and decreasing differences between rich and poor countries.
The document summarizes a workshop on mainstreaming biodiversity into agriculture. It discusses the TEEB initiative and TEEBAgriFood study, which aims to provide a comprehensive economic evaluation of agricultural systems and demonstrate how the economic environment distorts considerations of natural and social capital. It also presents three scenarios for the expansion of agriculture and conversion of land in the Maasai Steppe region, and notes the TEEB approach involves recognizing natural value through ecosystem services, demonstrating value through economic tools, and capturing value by incorporating benefits into decision-making.
Value Chain Analysis for Sustainable Rural Development
by: Ivan Idrovo and Marian Boquiren.
Contracted by: GIZ-Department of Agriculture-NCI-Philippines
Biodiversity Mainstreaming through Incentives and Investments: The Case for A...ExternalEvents
This document discusses mainstreaming agricultural biodiversity through incentives and investments. It argues that conservation strategies for wild and agricultural biodiversity are largely pursued separately despite their interdependencies. Only 30% of national biodiversity strategic action plans include details on agrobiodiversity conservation and use. The document highlights examples from Brazil of using school feeding programs and market incentives to promote consumption of nutrient-rich native species. It also discusses the benefits of maintaining forest borders around coffee fields to reduce crop pests by attracting predators like the yellow warbler. The document advocates for payment programs that reward farmers for conserving crop wild relatives and genetic resources and outlines threats to forest foods in Burkina Faso mapped through a multi-threat model. In the end,
International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security (2007)RAFI-USA
Contains Issues Paper: Organic Agriculture and Access to Food by Michael Sligh and Carolyn Christman. This paper was presented by RAFI staff at the May 2007 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Conference on Organic Agriculture and Food Security. 3-5 May 2007. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Italy.
This presentation addresses options to make public support for to agriculture climate smart. The presentation was held by Martien van Nieuwkoop, Director of Agriculture Global Practice at the World Bank at the Food Systems Finance Advantage event, part of the Agriculture Advantage 2.0 series at COP24.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Nepal Agricultural Economics Society (NAES) are jointly organizing Annual Conference of Nepal Agricultural Economics Society on February 13-14, 2015 at Conference Hall, Trade Tower, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal. During the annual conference of NAES, a special session on “Convergences of Policies and Programs relating to Sustainable and Climate Resilient Agriculture” is being organized. The aim of this special session is to showcase the studies and experiences in South Asian countries on climate resilient agriculture and how they can learn from each other to formulate progressive and sustainable policies to promote climate smart agriculture in a regional perspective.
The document discusses the challenges of climate change for agriculture and food security. It argues that resources and research need to focus on helping poor rural communities adapt. International climate agreements could impact food security depending on how agriculture is treated and funds are allocated. The document proposes specific policy actions and Copenhagen agreement language around incentivizing agricultural mitigation, increasing adaptation investment, and establishing a public technology network focused on climate-smart agriculture.
Challenges and Opportunities of Biogas Production in the European UnionPatrice Djoko Noumodje
The production of renewable energy form agricultural resources competes with food production for land, water and soil nutrients. The increased demand for energy crop may raise global land use change including greenhouse gas emissions and cause food insecurity in several regions. Sustainability of EU biogas production relies on both future agriculture and energy production systems and decision tools that allow farmers to self-control their practices so as to achieve their economic goals and minimize the impact of activities on environment and food security and decision makers to assign supports based on proper understandings of risks.
L verchot introduction to ec bioenergy projecttheREDDdesk
This document discusses a project aiming to promote sustainable bioenergy development. It notes that demand for biofuel feedstocks is being met through expansion in the global South, which can lead to deforestation, loss of land rights, and negative impacts on livelihoods. The project's overall objective is to develop bioenergy in a way that benefits local people, minimizes environmental and social impacts, and contributes to climate change mitigation. It plans to do this through assessments of social/environmental impacts of bioenergy, potential of forest-based bioenergy for climate mitigation, analyses of policies and markets, and opportunities for forest-based bioenergy that benefits local communities. A side event will present case studies on carbon emissions from land
Bioeconomy is a major opportunity for regional and local communities.
Agricultural growth is central to poverty reduction in rural areas, and one opportunity for such growth lies in increasing exports of agricultural products from poor countries to global markets.
The potential of Indonesia to develop a bio-based economy based on local resources remains largely untapped.
The solution is to develop technology options or business models for local deployment.
Raising awareness activities, knowledge development (studies), clustering, and networking are needed to support new bio-based value chains and business models.
The document provides a feasibility and financial study for a proposed biodiesel production laboratory project at the German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT). It discusses the worldwide and local biodiesel industries, analyzes the costs associated with establishing a small-scale biodiesel production facility, and models the financial viability of the proposed GMIT Biodiesel Project. The study concludes that under favorable pricing conditions, the project can sustain itself financially and provide educational benefits to students while also producing value for the local community through recycling of waste vegetable oil into biodiesel and other products.
Full proceedings paper at: http://www.extension.org/72854
The great Texas Oil Boom, also referred to as the Gusher Age, provided for dramatic economic growth in the US in the early 20th century, and ushered in rapid development and industrial growth. Although we typically think of the Middle East when we consider the impacts of oil discoveries on local economies (reference Dubai), at the time of its discovery, the oil finds in Texas were unprecedented; and the US quickly became the world’s top producer of petroleum.
As we all know, the rest of the world came to the party, and the US was soon falling in the ranks of top petroleum producers. Though the US oil reserves are vast, increasing concerns over the environmental impacts of finding, mining, extracting, refining, and consuming fossil fuels has incentivized the development of renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and bioenergy. Of these forms of renewable energy, bioenergy holds the promise for replacement of fossil fuels for transportation use.
This document discusses the challenges, risks, and opportunities for rural poor people from the expansion of biofuel production. It examines issues related to food versus fuel competition, impacts on climate change and the environment, and land use and tenure security. Specifically, it explores how increased biofuel demand could impact food prices and food security, evaluates the carbon savings of different biofuels and the effects of agricultural expansion, and considers the risks of weak land tenure systems for small farmers. The document aims to provide a balanced perspective, noting both potential negative consequences as well as opportunities for rural growth, employment, and energy access if biofuel development is well-managed.
Poyry - Are you ready for the Age of Confluence? - Point of ViewPöyry
Our global ecosystem is evolving. We have entered a new era, characterised by an increasingly complex mesh of interconnections and linkages across the world’s major resource groups: land, biomass, energy, fresh water, chemicals, manpower, and metals and minerals. Another parallel phenomenon is emerging: our digital and
bio-based worlds are also converging. We are living in what we call the ‘Age of Confluence’.
It is time for industries to understand and master the bio-economic implications of these interconnections – or risk facing serious issues, which cut deep into the core of a
sustainable future.
The document discusses the economics of producing energy crops for fuel conversion. It finds that while the U.S. has significant agricultural resources that could be used to produce biofuels, the costs of growing and converting most feedstocks into biofuels is currently higher than for conventional fuels. However, government policies aim to advance technologies that lower biofuel production costs and account for environmental externalities not reflected in fossil fuel prices. As technologies progress, biofuels are expected to become more competitive.
This document discusses several issues related to sustainability, including:
1) Current economic growth and development are exceeding the Earth's biocapacity, with the global ecological footprint equaling 1.3 planets.
2) Mainstream environmentalism has been unable to address problems like climate change that are exacerbated by policies focused on profits and growth.
3) Both the development of bioproducts and increasing global population will put significant pressure on limited land and resources unless more sustainable approaches are adopted.
The document discusses ethanol production in Brazil. It notes that Brazil is the largest global producer of ethanol, producing 20 billion liters per year. Brazilian ethanol is produced from sugarcane, which has advantages over corn and other feedstocks in terms of energy efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Brazilian ethanol industry benefits from a supportive policy environment including blending mandates and the development of flexible fuel vehicles. It has developed strong related industries including equipment manufacturers, commodity traders, and research institutions that support the ethanol value chain.
Digitalization plays an indispensable role in achieving the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork Strategy objectives of sustainability, food security, and competitiveness. Technologies like AI, IoT, blockchain and 5G have potential to make agriculture more efficient and sustainable, but also risk a digital divide between connected and disconnected farms. The main challenges for BSB countries are reducing chemical use as required by EU policy while maintaining food production levels and farmer incomes in the short term. Investments and policies to incentivize innovation will be crucial to successfully manage this transition to smart farming.
This document discusses the complex interactions between bioenergy and food security. It raises several key cross-cutting questions about this topic, including how the integration of biofuels could affect food security, what role productivity improvements play in synergies between food and bioenergy production, and if bioenergy can be deployed to enhance rather than degrade the resilience of the global food system. The document also discusses using different analytical tools at different scales to understand these issues and highlights complexity as both an obstacle and an opportunity in the bioenergy sector.
Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira is a biologist and researcher at CIGEST - the Center for Research in Management at ISG Business & Economics School in Portugal. His research focuses on biodiversity, environmental management, and sustainability. He coordinates the environment and sustainability research area at CIGEST. He is also an assistant professor of energy and natural resource economics at ISG and serves as ISG's representative for the Portuguese Business Council for Sustainable Development.
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Seminar: Les Levidow & Helena Paul on biofuels
1. GLOBAL BIOFUEL CROPS:
Integrating an agri-energy
industry, driving dispossession
Les Levidow, Open University and
Helena Paul, Econexus
STEPS Centre, Univ. of Sussex, 24 Jan 2008
(Notes section includes extra information)
2. EU policy
• Biofuel crops have been increasingly promoted as a
means to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
mitigate climate change and enhance energy security –
all in the common good.
• EU policy on biofuel crops has set targets for nearly 6%
of liquid fuels by 2010 and 10% by 2020.
The UK is formalising these targets within its ‘renewable
energy’ policy.
Germany is setting higher targets than the EU.
• To achieve such targets would require other changes in
govt policy and industrial structure – as well as
enormous imports from the global South.
• FP7 research priorities link novel GM crops with trade
liberalisation for greater import of bioenergy sources.
3. Biofuels as sustainable energy?
• Like most recent innovations, biofuels are promoted as
‘sustainable’ production methods.
• According to the European Commission, biofuels
combine agri-economic diversity with greater
sustainability, but this term has an unclear meaning:
‘In general, the production of biofuels could provide an opportunity to
diversify agricultural activity, reduce dependence on fossil fuels (mainly oil)
and contribute to economic growth in a sustainable manner….
By actively embracing the global trend towards biofuels and by ensuring
their sustainable production, the EU can exploit and export its experience
and knowledge, while engaging in research to ensure that we remain in the
vanguard of technical developments.’
-- An EU Strategy for Biofuels, 2006
Thus the Commission is positioning the EU for
competitive advantage in a global market.
4. Doubts raised about EU policy
• Crops now used for biofuels have already led to harmful
effects in the global South – e.g. higher food and land
prices, greater agrichemical usage and dispossession
from resources.
• Claims for mitigating climate change have been
challenged.
Savings in carbon emissions depend on specific
circumstances and calculation methods.
Some biofuels could increase GHG emissions.
• For those reasons, doubts have been raised about
whether or how the EU targets should be fulfilled.
5. EU sustainability criteria?
• There are proposals to regulate imports through
sustainability criteria, in order to ensure environmental
benefits and to minimise harm in the global South.
• As currently proposed by the European Commission,
sustainability criteria would include only some issues,
e.g. greenhouse-gas savings and ‘high-biodiversity’
conservation.
• Such criteria are more easily measurable than effects on
livelihoods, labour, wider environments, etc. – which
remain beyond any criteria which would be plausibly
monitored and enforced.
• Despite sharp disagreements, EU and national targets
have given a mandate to expand biofuel production (and
import), thus stimulating its expansion, regardless of any
sustainability criteria .
6. Questions for analysis
• What agendas and interests are driving the
increase in biofuel production?
• How to understand the emerging harm?
as negative side-effects of an otherwise beneficial development? or
as systemic features of an agri-industrial agenda for biofuels?
• How is sustainability understood?
• What prospects for maximising societal benefit
and minimising harm? How are these defined?
• What questions for critical research on biofuels?
7. Causes of harm?
• Biofuel production is extending agri-industrial systems
which have already harmed rural livelihoods and
environments.
Long before biofuel crops, such harm resulted from
intensive monocultures of crops, e.g.
soya in Argentina: exports to reduce national debt; and
oil palm in Indonesia: disputes over sustainability.
• Intensive monocultures depend upon agrichemicals,
insecurity of labour or even its elimination.
• Such systems dispossess local populations of control
over natural and human resources
(Paul and Steinbrecher, 2003).
8. Similar harm from biofuel crops
• Such effects also result from biofuel crops, especially
when produced by agri-industrial systems for a global
market (Econexus et al., 2007).
Small-scale farmers are under threat in many places.
• Tanzania – jatropha shifting from small-scale peasant
context to agri-industrial production for export.
• Indonesia – oil palm being expanded and industrialised.
• National policies are driven by pressures of trade & debt.
9. Driver: global industrial integration
• Biofuels originated in national policy frameworks, which
protected domestic production from foreign competition
and even from exports. Governments had regulatory
scope to protect local populations and environments.
• These protections are being undermined by global
competitive pressures, driven by specific corporate
interests.
An agri-feed-fuel industry is being integrated along
horizontal and vertical lines.
‘Bio-refinery’ integrates multiple industrial uses of a crop
(EuropaBio, 2007).
• Standard products are sought for global commodity
exchange, with flexible production of feed, energy or
other products from the same harvest.
• Global biofuel production depends upon and stimulates
that integration process.
10. Global integrated biofuel network (GIBN)
• Bioenergy has recently begun a shift towards a global
integrated network, thus deterritorialising relations
between production and consumption (Mol, 2007).
GIBN has greater transboundary flows, homogenisation
of products and processes, an integration with networks
of fossil fuels, and thus weaker influence by states.
• In both developed and developing countries, local biofuel
production systems and protections are undermined.
‘Local marginal farmers become increasingly dependent
on powerful global players in the GIBN’ – and thus more
vulnerable to global market competition.
• Under pressure from civil society, the GIBN may
incorporate some efforts to address climate change.
However, it is much more difficult to see means to
mitigate new social vulnerabilities, given the change in
power relations between global traders, developing
countries and small-scale farmers (Mol, 2007).
11. From old to new enclosures
• Commons: Community producers sustained the use of
common lands and maintained them.
• Utilitarian philosophy reconceived land as capital through
mechanical and market metaphors; any societal
protection would be ‘unnatural interference’ in natural
laws of the market (Williams, 1980).
Through enclosures, communities were dispossessed
from control over human and natural resources, instead
becoming dependent upon waged labour – wherever
employment could be found.
• As a concept, ‘new enclosures’ help to analyse how
neoliberal regimes undermine commons, esp. access to
or control over land, as well as broader resources.
• Various resources are enclosed by polluting them,
privatizing ownership, capitalizing nature, deskilling
production, etc.
Property rights over seeds limit producers’ rights to
develop, exchange or sell them.
12. GIBN as new enclosures
• Harmful effects of (global) biofuel production and
exchange arise from new enclosures.
• The emerging global integrated biofuel network (GIBN)
builds upon, depends upon and drives dispossession.
Land use is changed –
from food to industrial purposes (feed, fuel, etc.),
from small-scale producers to plantations,
from extensive methods to intensive agrichemical usage.
The latter methods are facilitated by GM crops, which also privatise
resources through patents.
• Competition for land use goes beyond food versus fuel.
Conflicts arise between different cultivation methods,
ownership structures and societal accountabilities.
• Longer distances of global biofuel markets serve to drive
and conceal enclosures.
13. What sustainability?
• For the agri-feed-fuel industry (GIBN), sustainability
means an input-output efficiency of resource usage for
global commodity production and trade.
GIBN aims to sustain intensive monocultural systems for
flexibly accommodating multiple global markets.
• For biofuel crops, official criteria for sustainability focus
on parameters that could be plausibly measured and
regulated.
These criteria remain marginal to the industrial strategies
and market pressures that drive dispossession.
• For less-intensive agricultures, by contrast, sustainability
means relying on local inputs and resources, producing
for local markets and sustaining rural livelihoods.
• Different accounts of sustainability imply divergent
criteria for social and environmental impacts.
14. GM crops as a solution?
• Given the societal and environmental harm from
biofuels, ‘next-generation’ GM crops have been
proposed as a means to enhance sustainable crop
production and avoid competition for land use.
• This would be done by converting plant (and waste)
material more efficiently into energy.
• Promises/hopes for such crops provide an argument to
expand biofuels now and thus create economic
incentives for those future techno-solutions.
• Such solutions define the problem as inefficient inputs,
low-yield plants, inadequate production, etc. – in turn
generating competition for land use.
• On the contrary, current inefficiency provides a weak
economic incentive for bio-refineries and dispossession.
More efficient high-yield crops would provide stronger
incentives, especially in the context of global market
competition. GM seed contracts control farm processes
and impose sanctions for any infringement.
15. GM crops: designed for industrial
integration and intensification
• Novel GM crops with stacked genes:
resistance to insects and/or a herbicide.
Designed to facilitate intensive monocultural systems
and corporate control.
• GM crops are now being designed to integrate feed &
energy uses of a crop, e.g. through high starch, lysine,
enzymes to break down lignin, etc.
• Next-generation GM: less plausible, though likewise
designed for agri-intensification.
• Hopes for such crops help to defer or avoid responsibility
for the societal harm from current biofuels, while pre-
empting alternative futures
16. Conclusions
• Biofuels are driven by an agri-feed-fuel industry, seeking
consolidation through horizontal and vertical integration,
towards more flexible competition in global markets.
• Global market pressures drive dispossession of
communities from control over resources,
while facilitating their exploitation by multinational capital.
• Government policies promote expansion of biofuel crops
– formerly produced for domestic uses, though
increasingly for global markets.
Governments have many incentives (debt, energy
security, capital import, etc.) to accommodate global
market pressures – and a weaker capacity to limit them.
17. Critical research topics on biofuels
contending agendas for the forms and aims of biofuel
crops;
strategies for integrating a global agri-feed-fuel industry,
with consequent enclosures;
socio-political forces attempting to resist or limit that
agenda, while promoting alternatives;
divergent accounts of sustainability, efficiency and societal
futures;
optimistic assumptions of government policies promoting
biofuels; and
efforts by state (and expert) bodies to mediate the societal
conflicts.