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Jagdeep Singh. Foto.

Jagdeep Singh

Researcher

Jagdeep Singh. Foto.

Farmers’ motivations to cultivate biomass for energy and implications

Author

  • Hedda Thomson Ek
  • Jagdeep Singh
  • Josefin Winberg
  • Mark V. Brady
  • Yann Clough

Summary, in English

Bioenergy derived from agricultural biomass can contribute to meeting the rising demand for renewable energy. To estimate the agricultural sector's potential to contribute to bioenergy, it is crucial to understand what motivates farmers to increase agricultural feedstock production sustainably. Through eight semi-structured interviews and online surveys with 174 farmers in southern Sweden, we explore the barriers and incentives farmers perceive in starting or increasing feedstock production for energy purposes sustainably using production methods with a low risk of causing indirect land use change (iLUC). Among the most prominent barriers are low profitability, high-risk investments, and potential negative environmental consequences such as soil depletion. Higher market prices for plant residuals and energy crops, combined with more long-term and reliable subsidies that support investments in new machinery, facilities, and production systems, are major driving factors to increase feedstock production for bioenergy. The study found that the farmers see little potential in using marginal lands due to their low soil productivity and spatial characteristics. Further, the potential for intensifying biomass production on currently cropped land is also found to be limited due to risks of soil depletion and environmental degradation. Our study highlights that the potential of bioenergy production from underutilized land and intensive production in Scania may be overestimated, and realizing this potential in practice may require suitable policy changes.

Department/s

  • Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC)
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • Biodiversity and Evolution
  • Biodiversity and Conservation Science
  • AgriFood Economics Centre, SLU
  • LU Profile Area: Nature-based future solutions

Publishing year

2024-10

Language

English

Publication/Series

Energy Policy

Volume

193

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Energy Systems
  • Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use

Keywords

  • Agricultural bioenergy
  • Farmers
  • Land use change
  • Policy implications
  • Underutilized lands

Status

Published

Research group

  • Biodiversity and Conservation Science

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0301-4215