Biobased Economy – Sustainable Use of Agricultural Resources

Abstract

The biobased economy can be to the 21st century what the fossil-based economy was to the 20th century. Agriculture has the potential to be central to this economy, providing source materials for commodity items such as liquid fuels and value-added products (chemicals and materials). At the same time, agriculture will continue to provide food and feed that are healthful and safe, which may give rise to some situations of trade-offs. The use of agricultural raw material in a biobased economy is not new. However, now agriculture has to compete with alternative land uses in order to claim the status of socially responsible entrepreneurship. Conservation of valuable landscapes, habitats, biodiversity have come to the forefront of some policy makers’ agenda. The public-good benefits that could accrue from the biobased economy are compelling. They include increased security in some countries (such as USA), economic advantages to farmers, industry, rural communities, and society, environmental benefits at the global, regional, and local levels, and other benefits to society in terms of human health and safety. How should this economy develop so that whatever is done is done well? This question requires examining some of the issues related to sustainability of this economy. Such an investigation has not taken place and thus, there is a need to explore this aspect of the biobased economy. In this chapter, opportunities and challenges facing the bioeconomy are introduced, primarily through a review of the literature. Major concentration of this study is on the agricultural feedstocks for use in the production of liquid transportation fuels, and related products. Some attention is also paid to production of biogas for electricity and heating purposes.