Objectif
The uncertainty of food and fuel supplies providing a lower carbon future presents an absolute requirement for humankind to develop efficient and sustainable agricultural production systems. However, research has suggested that current European biofuel development and agricultural sustainability criteria may increase both greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and indirect global land use impacts. These concerns have resulted in cautious development of biofuel crops. The Applicant for the SECURE project and the host scientists have also published high-profile responses to critics of biofuels focussing on second generation technologies and whole farm management criteria. The critics of biofuel development rarely consider the flexibility of agricultural planning, the impact of sustainable farming methods and the diversity of products from biofuel feedstocks. The research proposed by SECURE will develop robust models that relate directly to farm practice that can assess the impact of producing biofuel and industrial crops in the European Union. This will be achieved using whole farm GIS and field based data. SECURE will develop (1) scenarios that will forecast the impact of lead market biofuel feedstock production and the implementation of technologies that will enable the development of biorefineries and the use of lignocellulosic feedstocks for biofuel production, (2) utilise existing crop yield and whole farm management models to simulate of the value of agricultural residues to ligno-cellulosic biofuel and biorefinery supply chains, and, (3) develop life cycle methodologies for land use that will determine the flexibility of agricultural land use in Europe within a global context of land use. These deliverables will provide a whole farm agricultural practice model that will be of significant value to the establishment of the sustainability criteria on farms that European agricultural and biofuel policy describes.
Champ scientifique
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturesustainable agriculture
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencessoil sciencesland-based treatment
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureindustrial crops
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuels
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbiofuels
Thème(s)
Appel à propositions
FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF
Voir d’autres projets de cet appel
Régime de financement
MC-IEF - Intra-European Fellowships (IEF)Coordinateur
1049 Bruxelles / Brussel
Belgique