Biofuels: One of Many Claims to Resources

Abstract

In their Report, “Land clearing and the biofuel carbon debt,” (29 February, p. [1235][1]), J. Fargione et al . raise the important issue of competing land use needs in the planning of climate change mitigation strategies incorporating biofuel production. Research pointing out probable negative impacts of poorly planned policies is needed, but many recent works simplistically present biofuel as a disturbance in an otherwise optimally functioning system. Fargione et al . seem to assume that all land for bioenergy feedstock production either would be taken from the natural resource pool or would drive other land uses directly into it. Contrary to Fargione et al .'s thesis, we contend that not all current forms of land use are critical to society. In fact, uses can change without necessarily negatively affecting livelihoods and food security. Even if current agricultural land use were indeed inelastic, it would be incorrect to attribute all effects of “displacement” to biofuel. Livestock feed mill companies, livestock producers, and consumers themselves have a range of options and should bear some responsibility for the consequences of their choices. Today, the bioenergy sector is the subject of substantial scrutiny, whereas this year the largely unscrutinized feed industry will divert an amount of cereals from humans to animals that is well over 7 times globally that diverted by biofuel use ([1][2]). Consequently, we question initiatives of specific treatment for biofuel feedstock, as called for by Fargione et al . Upon what grounds is it appropriate to enforce sustainability of soy oil imports for biodiesel, while not applying this to soy meal imports for feed? We suggest that researchers stop presenting bioenergy as an aggressive intruder on an agrarian utopia and instead admit that bioenergy is just one of many agricultural products that use natural resources. Alarmist articles may do more harm than good to current decision-making in the EU and the UN. 1. 1.[↵][3] Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN, “Crop Prospects and Food Situation” (FAO, Rome, Italy, 2008); [www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai465e/ai465e04.htm][4]. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1152747 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1. in text [4]: http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/ai465e/ai465e04.htm