Published: 29 Jan 2008
A new report by
the European Environment Agency confirms
that there is a large potential for bioenergy
production from agricultural biomass in
Europe. However, the increasing demand for
biofuels raises concerns about additional
pressure on Europe’s environment and farmland
biodiversity.
Developing new bioenergy
crops needs to take account of the environmental
risks associated with large-scale bioenergy
production, says the report. Energy crops
are expected to use more of Europe's farmlands
over the years to come and environmental
limits will be needed to avoid damaging
impacts on the environment overall.
Soaring energy prices
and strong political support are driving
the increase in production of biomass. This
should not contribute to further ecological
strains -already arising from current agricultural
production, says the study. The report analyses
the 'environmentally compatible' potential
of biomass production in 25 EU Member States
and warns that Europe's biodiversity, waters
and soils could be threatened unless significant
protective measures are put in place.
The EEA report presents
a range of recommendations for making energy
cropping compatible with the environment,
including:
• Devoting at least
30 % of agricultural land area to 'environmentally
orientated' farming. A large number of Member
States are already on track to achieve the
minimum share by combining organic farming
and High Nature Value farmland, particularly
in Southern and Eastern Europe.
• At least 3 % of intensively cultivated
land should be set aside as ecological compensation
areas. This measure could halt the loss
of bird populations by providing non-cropped
habitats and maintain links between zones
covered by European ecological networks
such as Natura 2000.
• Certain types of extensive farming, such
as permanent grassland, dehesas and traditional
olive groves, should not be converted to
arable energy crops.
The report also promotes
some general approaches to minimise the
impact of biomass production on Europe's
environment. For example, new crops 'should
not require irrigation, intensive pesticide
and fertilizer use' and should not be grown
in monoculture, supporting farmland diversity.
The report reviews specific
policy mechanisms for encouraging environmentally
sound bioenergy cropping. These include
rules for energy cropping practices, incentives
for environmentally friendly energy crops
and advice to farmers. Policy efforts will
be required to ensure that food, feed and
biomass production in agriculture become
environmentally compatible.
