UK report calls for biofuels slowdown

London -  A UK government report has called for a slowdown in the growth of biofuels production to address concerns over rising food prices, deforestation and doubts about the climate benefits. Its findings challenge many of the assumptions behind the EU Biofuels Directive, which was agreed in 2003 to stimulate supply of biofuels amid global concerns over energy security, climate change and rural development.

The Gallagher Review, prepared by the UK Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), examined the indirect effects of current biofuels production and found that: "The displacement of existing agricultural production, due to biofuel demand, is accelerating land-use change and, if left unchecked, will reduce biodiversity and may even cause greenhouse gas emissions rather than savings."

The Agency, therefore, called for the introduction of biofuels to be significantly slowed until there are adequate controls to address displacement and reduce the impact on food commodity prices, notably oil seeds. At present, it noted, feedstock for biofuel occupies just 1% of cropland but the rising world population, changing diets and demand for biofuels could increase demand for cropland by between 17% and 44% by 2020.

""Although sufficient suitable land is probably available, current policies do not ensure that additional production occurs in these areas," said the RFA. "Policies must therefore be focused upon ensuring that agricultural expansion to produce biofuel feedstock is directed towards suitable idle or marginal land or utilises appropriate wastes, residues or other non-crop feedstock."

The report went on to propose that the current RTFO (Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation) target for 2008/09 (2.5% by volume) should be retained, but the proposed rate of increase in biofuels be reduced to 0.5% (by volume) per annum rising to a maximum of 5% by volume by 2013/14. This compares with the RTFO's current target trajectory of 5% by 2010.

"We recommend that the RTFO is further reviewed in 2011/12 to complement and coincide with the 2011/12 EU review of member states' progress on biofuels targets. During the period to 2011/12, comprehensive, mandatory sustainability criteria within the EU Renewable Energy Directive should be implemented for biofuels and bio-energy, including requiring feedstock that avoids indirect land-use change," the RFA stated

With regard to future EU policy, the report called for the replacement of volume- or energy-based targets with comparable greenhouse gas saving targets, as soon as possible. However, it noted, current greenhouse gas lifecycle analysis fails to take account of either indirect land change or avoided land use from co-products and so could lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging feedstocks that lead to higher net land use.

Advanced technology

According to the RFA, "advanced technologies" have the potential to produce biofuels with higher greenhouse gas savings and could use a wider range of feedstocks. However, it added that these technologies are "currently immature" and, as with current technologies, should avoid the use of land that would otherwise be used for food production.

"Some feedstocks for advanced technologies require more land than current biofuel feedstocks, and consequently have the potential to induce more indirect land-use change. This is because current technologies use feedstocks that also result in the production of co-products that avoid land use - such as protein substitutes in animal feed that replace the need for soy cultivation," the report stated.

The review proposes an EU-wide obligation to encourage these technologies to commence in 2015 rising to 1-2% by energy in 2020. Biofuels supplied to comply with this obligation would need to deliver high GHG savings from appropriate wastes, residues, crops grown on marginal land, or feedstock, such as algae, that do not require agricultural land.