Special Issue "Biofuels, Food Security, and Accompanying Environmental Concerns"

Guest Editor
Prof. Terence J. Centner
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 301 Conner Hall, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-7509, USA
Website: http://www.caes.uga.edu/departments/agecon/personnel/faculty/centner/centner.html
E-Mail: tcentner@uga.edu
Phone: +1 706 542 0756
Fax: +1 706 542 0739
Interests: environmental regulation; environmental policy; agricultural regulation; law

Dear Colleagues,

With governmental commitments to diversifying energy sources, raising crops for biofuels has been an important component of the agricultural production.  Various governmental laws and regulations have provided incentives to producers, processors, and buyers of biofuel.  These incentives have led producers to alter their production practices with corresponding effects on the resources and the environment.  More recently, advanced biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol have been differentiated so their production and use might receive further encouragement.  Due to a number of inherent limitations on first- and second-generation biofuels, increased attention is being given to the production of third-generation biofuels.

Governmental policies concerning biofuels are affecting food supplies, water resources, changes in land use, sustainability, ecosystem services, and the loss of rain forests.  Accompanying large scale production of biofuels are concerns about international agricultural commodity trade, climate change, and environmental quality.  This issue will examine the conditions wrought by biofuel production as it relates to food security, the environment, and trade.

Prof. Terence J. Centner
Guest Editor

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• biofuels
• ethanol
• energy
• land use
• food security
• environmental quality
• climate change
• trade

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Cellulosic Biomass for Ethanol Production Versus Food Production
Authors: David Pimentel and Danielle Kkirshenblatt
Affiliation: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853–0901, USA
Abstract: An ongoing major research effort for the past 10 years costing several billion dollars per year to find an economically viable method to break down cellulose in cellulosic biomass into glucose in order to produce ethanol has failed so far.Using cellulosic biomass to produce ethanol presents a further problem in that it has fewer fermentable carbohydrates and a greater quantity of complex matrices of lignin and hemicellulose than corn grain has.These problems make converting cellulosic biomass into liquid fuel extremely difficult.This analysis focuses on the potential of cellulosic biomass to serve as a source of liquid fuel.Since cellulosic biomass, like switchgrass, clearly has very few simple starches compared to corn, 2 to 3 times more cellulosic material must be produced and processed to obtain an ethanol yield comparable with a given amount of corn grain. Currently about 6.5 kg of cellulosic biomass is required to produce 1 liter of ethanol.No large cellulosic ethanol plants exist in the world. Cellulosic ethanol does not compete with food production.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Biofuel Production From Alternative Agricultural Feedstocks in Finland: Private Profitability and Social Welfare
Authors: Jussi Lankoski, Markku Ollikainen and Jaakko Rinne
Affiliation: University of Helsinki, Unioninkatu 40, 00170 Helsinki, Finland
Abstract: In this paper we develop a model which can be used to analyze farmers’ economically optimal choice between different crops for biofuel production. It is assumed that the production of biofuel for road transportation from these crops decreases the amount of LCA CO₂-eq emissions to the atmosphere if compared with conventional road transportation fuels. Therefore, after solving farmer's economically optimal fertilizer intensity and crop choice (private optimum), resulting climate benefits to the society from this choice are assessed. Finally, crops are ranked on the basis of farmer’s private benefits (profits), climate benefits and different combinations of those. Hence, on the basis of this a biofuel crop that would bring the highest social welfare can be selected.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Feeding African Population by Boosting Productivity of Indigenous Crops
Authors: Zerihun Tadele ¹ and Kebebew Assefa ²
Affiliations: ¹ Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Bern, Switzerland; E-Mail:  zerihun.tadele@ips.unibe.ch
² Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Debre Zeit Research Center, P.O. Box 32, Debre Zeit, Ethiopia
Abstract: Green Revolution has enabled Asian countries to boost their crop production. However, Africa did not benefit from this agricultural revolution since crops grown in the continent were not given emphasis. African indigenous crops adapt to extreme environmental conditions and have higher acceptance by the consumers. However, due to lack of genetic improvement, the productivity of these crops remains low. Recently, some of these under-researched crops received the attention of the international research community in which modern improvement techniques have been applied. The studies implement diverse genomic and genetic tools in order to boost the productivity of the under-researched but economically important crops.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Biomass Amounts in Swedish Forest and Abandoned Farmland, an Asset
Author: Tord Johansson
Affiliation: Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Abstract: Tree biomass has been used in household as firewood or charcoal production for centuries. In Sweden conventional forest management has been combined with utilization of tops and branches for biofuel use. Short rotation plantations of Salix growing on farmland have been practiced during the last 40 years in Sweden. Nowadays two fast growing species, hybrid poplar and hybridaspen, have been interesting source for production of biomass. Information is given about the running amount of biomass today and the forthcoming biomass from young plantations of fast growing species on farmland. Results from ongoing and ended research are presented. An overview on the different types of energy in Sweden and their importance is presented.

Type of Paper: Review
Title: Biofuels and Food Security. Constraints and Opportunities for Land Use and Crop Choice
Author: Huub Spiertz
Affiliation: Centre for Crop Systems Analysis (CSA), Wageningen University, Plant Sciences, Visitors address: Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Abstract: There are gaps in our knowledge regarding the global capacity for a sustainable plant-based production to meet the demands of a bio-based economy, while maintaining food security. Complexity in the demand and supply of food, feed and fuel at local, regional and global scales asks for tailor-made solutions. The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel will require transitions in land and water management, improving crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: Effects of Ultrasonication on Structure and Sugar Production Potential of Switchgrass
Authors: Rajat Sharma, Ratna R. Sharma-Shivappa, Michael D. Boyette and Larry R. Stikeleather
Affiliation: Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Campus Box 7625, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
Abstract: The effects of high frequency sound waves on switchgrass in deionized water were investigated at an intensity of 20 kHz and amplitudes up to 170 micron. Delignification up to 20% and 68.2%–98.7% sugar retention was observed. Visual evidence of disintegration assessed via scanning electron microscopy and compositional analyses were used to select samples for enzymatic hydrolysis. Temperature controlled ultrasonication for 60 min at 100% amplitude in a stainless steel vessel, gave the highest sugar conversions of 84.6 and 84.7 % for 30% Cellic® Ctec2 and 30% Dyadic Alternafuel 200 L loadings, respectively. However, based on the overall results, it is inferred that ultrasonication alone is not suitable to improving sugar generation from switchgrass and further investigation is needed.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: The Relative Contribution of Changes in Trade and EU production to meet EU Cereals Crop Demand for Bioethanol
Author: Warwick Lywood
Affiliation: Ensus Plc, The Granary, 17a High Street, Yarm, TS15 9BW, UK
Abstract: There are concerns that increased demand for biofuels will affect food security in developing countries and cause additional GHG emissions from land use change. This paper uses analysis of historic data to show that regions that are close to a cereals trade balance tend to adjust the regional supply in order to meet regional demand of cereals and therefore do not significantly impact trade with other regions. Also in regions where land is well utilised, the increase in cereal demand tends to be met by increased yield growth, rather than increased area growth, thus minimising land use change. In the case of the EU about 90% of extra cereals demand in the EU is met by increased EU production and about 70% of the increased EU production is met by yield growth and only 30% by increased area growth.