Sustainability and Socioeconomic Impacts of Bioenergy

Abstract

Biofuels are prominent energy sources among renewable energy sources in recent years. The reasons why biofuels are preferred can be listed as follows: biofuels can improve energy security, they can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they are renewable, they can increase farm income, they can create new jobs, they have physical and chemical properties similar to oil, and they are simple and familiar. The availability, and cost of the resources are important barriers for the effective development and spread of these technologies. There are increasing efforts to promote biomass production for industrial uses including biofuels and bio-products such as chemicals and bioplastic. Environmental sustainability is an important factor. Sustainability principles also apply at the economic and social levels. On sustainability, bioenergy creates both positive and negative effects on various environmental and socio-economic problems. These include social welfare, economic well-being, property rights, working conditions, poverty alleviation and more. Biofuel production can stimulate the agricultural sector and reduce poverty by increasing rural income. Fossil fuel dependence can be reduced, economic growth and jobs can be maintained, and the economic and environmental sustainability of production and processing industries can be improved by the use of bioenergy. In this study, sustainability and the socioeconomic impacts of bioenergy is examined by analyzing current social data and literature research. The most important findings of this study are the creation of different income channels and rural economic development by bioenergy transition around the globe.