Abstract
Bioenergy has been under intense scrutiny over the last ten years with significant research efforts in many countries
taking place to define and measure sustainable practices. We describe here the main challenges and policy issues,
and provide policy recommendations for scaling up sustainable bioenergy approaches globally. The 2016 Intended
Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) will not reach even global Green House Gas (GHG) emission targets of
2oC. Sustainable biomass production can make a significant contribution. Substantive evidence exists that many
bioenergy cropping systems can bring multiple benefits and off-set environmental problems associated with fossil
fuels, intensive food production and urbanization. We provide evidence that there are many approaches to land use for
bioenergy expansion that do not lead to competition for food or other needs, We should focus on how to manage
theses approaches on a synergistic basis and how to reduce tradeoffs at landscape scales. Priorities for successful
synergies between bioenergy and food security include integrated resource management designed to improve both
food security and access to bioenergy, investments in technology, rural extension, and innovations that build capacity
and infrastructure, promotion of stable prices to incentivize local production and use of double cropping and flex crops
(plants grown for both food and non-food markets) that provide food and energy as well as other services. The
sustainable production of biomass requires appropriate policies to secure long-term investment for support to improve
crop productivity and also to ensure environmental as well as economic and social benefits of bioenergy cropping
systems, without compromising food security. Continuous support for cropping, infrastructure, agricultural
management and related policies is needed to foster positive synergies between food crops and bioenergy production.
In comparison to fossil fuels biofuels have many positive environmental benefits. Potential negative impacts caused by
land-use change and agriculture intensification can be mitigated by agroecological zoning, best management
practices, the use of eco-hydrology and biodiversity-friendly concepts at field, watershed and landscape scales. Global
climate and environmental changes related to the use of fossil fuels and inequitable development make it unethical not
to pursue more equitable energy development that includes bioenergy. To achieve sustainable development,
competitiveness and costs of bioenergy production need to be addressed in a manner that considers not only
economic gains, but also development of local knowledge and social and environmental benefits.