Smallholder certification in biomass supply chains. Challenges and strategies

Jun 2013

As a result of an increasing interest in biomass as an alternative to the use of non-renewable fossil fuel resources, agricultural production of biomass has become a key topic in many boardrooms. This results in growing investments in the agricultural sector offering opportunities for producers to increase their income from biomass production. There are, however, also potential downsides linked to these investments, such as expropriation of land, deforestation, and a rise in food prices. As a result, the sustainable production of biomass has become a key issue, triggering initiatives focusing on the production of biomass either on marginal land for agriculture and/or in combination with food crops. Moreover, certification initiatives have been developed to guarantee sustainable production of biomass. Smallholders are considered by many as a specific target group in the context of production/ certification of agricultural production and substantial efforts are being undertaken to include them in supply chains. This study focuses on the certification of smallholders in the biomass for energy production market or the bio-energy market. It draws on the experiences with smallholder certification in sectors other than the biomass production. The objective of this study is to provide insight into:
- the benefits for companies and other stakeholders to include smallholders in biomass certification processes;
- the benefits for smallholders to be certified in biomass supply chains;
- the risks and challenges regarding certification of smallholders in biomass supply chains;
- the lessons learned from existing certification schemes applied in smallholder settings in and outside the biomass sector;
and, to provide recommendations including practical information (do‘s) on:
- the steps and strategies that enable successful certification of smallholders in biomass supply chains.

By: NL Agency

 
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