Biofuel Cropping Systems ― Carbon, Land and Food

Choosing appropriate practices and policies for biofuel production requires an understanding of how soils, climate, farm types, infrastructure, markets and social organisation affect the establishment and performance of these crops. The book highlights land use dynamics, cultivation practices related to conversion and wider impacts. It explores how biofuel production chain development is steered by emerging technologies and management practices and how both can be influenced by effective policies designed to encourage sustainable biofuel production.

The book highlights major biofuel production chains including:

• cane cultivation in Brazil
• corn ethanol in the USA
• wheat and rapeseed in Europe
• oil palm in the Far East
• cane in Asia and Africa
• SRC and other lignocellulosic crops.

In each case the development, cropping systems and impacts are discussed, system dynamics are shown and lessons drawn for the way things could or should change.

Biofuel Cropping Systems is a vital resource for all those who want to understand the way biofuels are produced and how they impact other elements of society and especially how improvements can be made. It is a handbook for students, biofuel producers, researchers and policymakers in energy and agriculture.

Hans Langeveld holds an MSc in tropical agronomy. After a career of 20 years of research in public institutions, he founded a private company for research on sustainable biomass (Biomass Research) in 2008. His major focus is on sustainable biomass production and its utilisation in biofuels and materials.

John Dixon is Principal Adviser, Research Programmes at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) in Canberra, Australia.

Herman van Keulen was trained as a soil scientist and production ecologist at Wageningen University. During his career, he wrote many crop growth models. Herman developed innovative concepts in soil water modelling and sustainability research and has been an expert on crop growth, animal production systems and sustainable land use for over four decades. During his career, Herman was recognized internationally as a giant in his field. His knowledge of crop production around the world was encyclopaedic and his readiness to share his wisdom was a constant support for many around him.