Bioenergy cropping systems

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Bio-energy cropping systems

• Agro-environmental issues
• Madrid, 9/10 February 2006

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Key aspects for agro-env. session

• General relationship agriculture environment
• Feedback on EEA assessment
• Environmental matrix (?)
• Fire risks and bio-energy production
• Opportunities or mainly threats?
• What to do next ?!

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Key environmental issues

• Agriculture is a key land use (50-70)
• Farming has a major impact on natural resources
• Water quantity and quality
• Soils erosion and carbon content
• Air emissions climate change
• Farming also shapes landscapes and biodiversity
  habitats (in positive negative ways)

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Relationship between agricultural intensity and
biodiversity
biodiversity
Intensity of agriculture
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Impacts on Important Bird Areas
Changing agric. practices cause butterfly
decline. 80 of all agricultural sites
experience negat. impacts from intensification,
abandonment, or both.
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Agricultural bioenergy productionEnvironmental
considerations (AREA)
High loss of biodiversity release of soil
carbon if grassland is transformed into arable
land ? Only extensive bioenergy use from
grassland
Some farmland species require ecological
stepping stones ? set-aside 3 of intensively
used farmland for nature conservation
Extensively cultivated farmland usually has
higher biodiversity value ? 30 of Utilized
Agricultural Area environmentally oriented
farming in 2030 (except Be, Lux, Malta, NL)
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Agricultural bioenergy minimise environ-mental
pressure by growing the right crops

• Every bioenergy crop has a specific env.
  performance every region requires specific
  env. considerations

2. Grow bioenergy crops with low environmental
pressure
3. Introduce a mix of bioenergy crops (maintain
crop and landscape diversity)
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Priorisation of annual crops for the Atlantic
Central and Lusitanian Zone
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Explore co-benefits between energy use and nature
protection

• 1. Use cuttings from grassland
• necessary to maintain biodiversity-rich grassland
  and landscape diversity on average, 16 of
  NATURA2000 sites depend on the continuation of
  extensive farming practices
• provide (limited) amount of bioenergy (5-7 of
  total agric. potential)

• 2. Use new bioenergy crop systems and varieties
• reduced environmental pressure less nutrient
  input, enhanced crop diversity, less use
  of heavy machines lower, structural elements
• high energy yield

• 3. Use forest residues
• Can support fire prevention measures in otherwise
  unmanaged forests in Southern Europe
• provides bioenergy, covering (parts of) the cost
  of collection

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• Thank you very much for your attention

Jan-Erik Petersen European Environment
Agency phone [phone]
Jan.Erik.Petersen_at_eea.eu.int
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Looking into the future

• Who will manage high nature value farmland in 30
  years time?
• Semi-subsistence farmers small area
• Family farms where conditions are right
• Organic farmers require top-up schemes
• Nature managers in many cases yes
• Large conventional farms mostly not
• Bio-energy farmers Yes, if we create the right
  conditions for it!

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Underlying driving forces factors

• Economic trends (increase in labour costs,
  falling product prices)
• Technological development
• Socio-economic expectations
• Further structural change is probable
• Agricultural policy as a tool for delivering
  public goods
• Limited administrative resources for more complex
  policies
• Total agricult. budget likely to decline

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The strategic perspective

• Nature conservation is forever..
• There is not one single solution..
• Discussion of a few principles
• Aim to add value to nature products
• Link policies up where possible but do not
  over-complicate delivery
• Exploit new trends where possible
• Focus on conserving or developing ?!