What drives sustainable biofuels? A review of indicator assessments of biofuel production systems involving smallholder farmers

Florin, M.J.; Ven, G.W.J. van de; Ittersum, M.K. van

doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2013.09.012

Cited by 44 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 91 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Empirical evidence that underlines context-driven sustainability impacts from biofuel projects are increasingly emerging [50]. For example, maintaining and enhancing biodiversity, carbon sinks and soil fertility are principles with highly site-specific drivers such as vegetation, soil and biomass type [51e53].…”

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 99%

The policy and practice of sustainable biofuels: Between global frameworks and local heterogeneity. The case of food security in Mozambique

Schut

Florin

2015

Biomass and Bioenergy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 99%

The policy and practice of sustainable biofuels: Between global frameworks and local heterogeneity. The case of food security in Mozambique

Schut

Florin

2015

Biomass and Bioenergy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…, Florin et al. ). Field testing of the proposed indicator suite within a variety of bioenergy systems is needed to ensure adoption by the biofuels industry (McBride et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…An effective method of integrating collected socioeconomic and environmental indicators is also needed for holistic understanding of a bioenergy system's sustainability “trajectory,” meaning its progress toward (or away from) sustainability targets (Florin et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing multimetric aspects of sustainability: Application to a bioenergy crop production system in East Tennessee

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. This article connects the science of sustainability theory with applied aspects of sustainability deployment. A suite of 35 sustainability indicators spanning 12 environmental and socioeconomic categories has been proposed for comparing the sustainability of bioenergy production systems across different feedstock types and locations. Information on sustainability indicators and associated measurements for the feedstock production and logistics portions of the biofuel supply chain was available from a recent demonstration-scale switchgrass-to-ethanol production system located in East Tennessee. Knowledge pertaining to the available indicators was distributed within a hierarchical decision tree framework to generate an assessment of the overall sustainability of this no-till switchgrass production system relative to two alternative business-as-usual scenarios of unmanaged pasture and tilled corn production. The relative contributions of the social, economic, and environmental information were determined for the overall trajectory of this bioenergy system's sustainability under each scenario. The results show that, within this East Tennessee context, switchgrass production is an attractive option for improving environmental and social sustainability trajectories without adverse economic impacts, which can lead to enhanced sustainability overall. Although external trade does not yet exist for this switchgrass commodity, our economic modeling indicates that switchgrass production can still be beneficial to the counties surrounding the biorefinery in terms of dollars earned and jobs created. The opportunity to use inactive equipment and laborers is a potential benefit captured indirectly by the sustainability evaluation framework. Given the early stage of cellulosic ethanol production, it is currently difficult to determine quantitative values for all 35 proposed sustainability indicators across the entire biofuel supply chain. This case study demonstrates that integration of qualitative sustainability indicator ratings may increase holistic understanding of a bioenergy system in the absence of complete information.

show abstract

“…Principles are basic statements or truths associated with biofuel production while criteria are specific objectives that lead to the compliance of the principles [17,18]. Quantitative measurements of sustainability require that principles and criteria are translated into a set of indicators reflecting the issues considered by evaluators or stakeholders [17][18][19].…”

Section: Sustainability Assessment Of Biofuelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Three-Dimensional Sustainability Evaluation of Jatropha Plantations in Yucatan, Mexico

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper presents a unique sustainability analysis of one of the first attempts to establish a biodiesel industry in Mexico. From 2008, several companies established medium to large-sized Jatropha curcas plantations in Yucatan, hiring local peasants to carry out the agricultural work. After five years, the plantations were abandoned due to poor seed yields and a lack of key knowledge for large-scale cultivation. Based on a multidisciplinary approach, we performed a three-dimensional sustainability evaluation of the potential biodiesel production chain, which included household interviews, a socioeconomic survey, and a life-cycle assessment (LCA). We identified both negative and positive effects in the three dimensions analyzed. Socially and culturally, the local peasant families understood sustainability as their ability to preserve their traditional lifestyle, and associated environmental services with their sense of identity. They therefore considered the jatropha plantations to be positive for sustainability, since they brought income, even though some perceived damage to the natural resources of the surrounding areas. Economically, peasants' annual household income increased by approximately $1080 USD due to the increased salaries paid by the jatropha companies. The LCA predicted large savings of greenhouse gas emissions (>50% compared to fossil diesel), but also potential negative impacts in some categories (human/ecological toxicity and eutrophication potentials) associated with the use of mineral fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides applied during the cultivation stage. Biodiesel production would be potentially energetically self-sufficient, in addition to producing a 40% energy surplus. Finally, even though the sustainability indicators suggested a positive overall assessment, the reality was that the jatropha projects failed because they were predicated on unrealistically optimistic projections and poor agronomic knowledge of the plant.

show abstract

What drives sustainable biofuels? A review of indicator assessments of biofuel production systems involving smallholder farmers

Cited by 44 publications

References 91 publications

The policy and practice of sustainable biofuels: Between global frameworks and local heterogeneity. The case of food security in Mozambique

The policy and practice of sustainable biofuels: Between global frameworks and local heterogeneity. The case of food security in Mozambique

Assessing multimetric aspects of sustainability: Application to a bioenergy crop production system in East Tennessee

A Three-Dimensional Sustainability Evaluation of Jatropha Plantations in Yucatan, Mexico

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About