Bioenergy and Trade

Smart choices for biofuels

Much of the strong support for biofuels in the United States is premised on the national security advantages of reducing dependence on imported oil. In late 2007, these expected payoffs played a major role in ...

Jan 2009
Bioenergy and biofuels: opportunities and constraints

It is still controversial whether biofuels, particularly first generation biofuels, deliver net GHG benefits. Policies concerning biofuel production will need to require that feedstock production practices do not create net additional emissions of GHGs directly, ...

Jan 2009
Agrofuels in South Africa - Projects, players and poverty

The South African government has readily embraced the establishment of an agrofuels industry, citing job creation, the need for clean and renewable energy and the creation of markets for small-holder farmers, as key motivators.Agrofuel production ...

Dec 2008
Integration of agricultural and energy systems

Massive production of energy, mainly liquid fuels, from agricultural resources will link agricultural and energy markets, tightly. The new market integration is perhaps the most fundamentally important change to occur in agriculture in decades. The ...

Dec 2008
Ethanol USA

Environmental, social, economic, and food issues brought on by the rapidly expanding ethanol-from-corn industry in the United States are reviewed and discussed.The U.S. and many other countries got on an “irrational exuberance” trip with biofuels ...

Dec 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in Indonesia

This report examines government support for biofuels in Indonesia, which began with the announcement of a new biofuels plan in 2006. Current policies supporting biofuels came bundled together with the Energy Security Act under which ...

Dec 2008
Food, farmers and fuel: balancing global grain and energy policies with sustainable land use

The public debate on agrofuels changed dramatically over the past year. What started out as an intriguing proposal on an apparently innovative alternative fuel source quickly turned into an important and contentious topic of international ...

Nov 2008
Sugarcane ethanol - Contributions to climate change mitigation and the environment

The aim of this publication is to set the stage for the discussion about both challenges and concerns of sugarcane ethanol by providing the scientific context, the basic concepts and the approach for understanding the ...

Nov 2008
Biofuels - At what cost? - Government support for ethanol and biodiesel in China

This report examines the historical development and current status of the biofuel industry in China, focusing on government policies to support production and consumption. The analysis forms part of a multi-country effort by the Global ...

Nov 2008
The palm oil financing handbook. Practical guidance on responsible financing and investing in the palm oil sector

How can banks and investors reduce their risks in the palm oil sector? How can financial institutions encourage sustainable palm oil production? These two questions are the starting point for The Palm Oil Financing Handbook, ...

Nov 2008
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