Herman van Keulen - Böcker

Choosing appropriate practices and policies for biofuel production requires an understanding of how soils, climate, farm types, infrastructure, markets and social organisation affect the establishment and performance of these crops. The book highlights land use dynamics, cultivation practices related to conversion and wider impacts. It explores how biofuel production chain development is steered by emerging technologies and management practices and how both can be influenced by effective policies designed to encourage sustainable biofuel production.The book highlights major biofuel production chains including: cane cultivation in Brazil corn ethanol in the USA wheat and rapeseed in Europe oil palm in the Far East cane in Asia and Africa SRC and other lignocellulosic crops.In each case the development, cropping systems and impacts are discussed, system dynamics are shown and lessons drawn for the way things could or should change.Biofuel Cropping Systems is a vital resource for all those who want to understand the way biofuels are produced and how they impact other elements of society and especially how improvements can be made. It is a handbook for students, biofuel producers, researchers and policymakers in energy and agriculture.

Choosing appropriate practices and policies for biofuel production requires an understanding of how soils, climate, farm types, infrastructure, markets and social organisation affect the establishment and performance of these crops. The book highlights land use dynamics, cultivation practices related to conversion and wider impacts. It explores how biofuel production chain development is steered by emerging technologies and management practices and how both can be influenced by effective policies designed to encourage sustainable biofuel production.The book highlights major biofuel production chains including: cane cultivation in Brazil corn ethanol in the USA wheat and rapeseed in Europe oil palm in the Far East cane in Asia and Africa SRC and other lignocellulosic crops.In each case the development, cropping systems and impacts are discussed, system dynamics are shown and lessons drawn for the way things could or should change.Biofuel Cropping Systems is a vital resource for all those who want to understand the way biofuels are produced and how they impact other elements of society and especially how improvements can be made. It is a handbook for students, biofuel producers, researchers and policymakers in energy and agriculture.

Since 1998, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality (LNV) promotes development-orientated agricultural and environmental research and strengthening of North-South partnerships through its International Cooperation (DLO-IC) research programme. By 2005, some 70 collaborative North-South projects had been carried out. All science groups in Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) were involved in the implementation of the programme and at least half the projects and activities undertaken were directly related to Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture (RDSA). Facing new challenges with respect to sustainable development strategies for low-income countries, related to global environmental change and globalization of markets, an interdisciplinary Wageningen research group set out to draw lessons from the DLO-IC projects of the last eight years, stimulate discussion and support identification of a future research agenda for RDSA. In that process, special emphasis was given to lessons for future thinking about the contribution of agriculture to: 1) poverty alleviation and rural livelihoods; 2) food security, human nutrition and health; 3) environmental sustainability and natural resource management.In discussing the way ahead, a number of major research challenges, as well as policy questions are outlined. These include the interrelations between climate change and food security and environmental degradation, increased demand for biofuels and animal feed, and competing claims on natural resources, and rural development and livelihood strategies in low-income countries.

Since 1998, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Food Quality (LNV) promotes development-orientated agricultural and environmental research and strengthening of North-South partnerships through its International Cooperation (DLO-IC) research programme. By 2005, some 70 collaborative North-South projects had been carried out. All science groups in Wageningen University and Research Centre (WUR) were involved in the implementation of the programme and at least half the projects and activities undertaken were directly related to Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture (RDSA). Facing new challenges with respect to sustainable development strategies for low-income countries, related to global environmental change and globalization of markets, an interdisciplinary Wageningen research group set out to draw lessons from the DLO-IC projects of the last eight years, stimulate discussion and support identification of a future research agenda for RDSA. In that process, special emphasis was given to lessons for future thinking about the contribution of agriculture to: 1) poverty alleviation and rural livelihoods; 2) food security, human nutrition and health; 3) environmental sustainability and natural resource management.In discussing the way ahead, a number of major research challenges, as well as policy questions are outlined. These include the interrelations between climate change and food security and environmental degradation, increased demand for biofuels and animal feed, and competing claims on natural resources, and rural development and livelihood strategies in low-income countries.