Our Motivation

To date a transition from an economy based on fossil resources, to a BioEconomy that relies on bio-based resources (bbR) and renewable energy (RE) is inevitable to end the degradation of the environment. Several strategies were elaborated by the OECD, the EU including Finland, Sweden and Germany as well as the USA, Canada and Australia 1. Common sense is that a lot more food, feed, fiber and fuel (4 Fs’) need to be produced by agricultural, forestry and fishery sector.

Land areas and natural resources are already intensively used, but mainly in unsustainable ways. There is already competition among the production pathways for the 4 Fs’ 1.

It is well documented that one third to half of the food produced worldwide is either lost or wasted (including the natural resources, labor and energy that were used for its production) 2. In industrialized countries’ the losses are attributed to their consumeristic lifestyles. Little attention is paid to the environment, the use of natural resource and farming becomes “un-cool” especially among the youth. Industrialized societies live far away from nature. For example, in Germany, the share of the population engaged in the primary sector was only about 1,6% in 2012 3.

In addition to an increased production and higher production efficiency, a transition of this lavish lifestyle to self-sustainable livelihoods is an important requirement for a sustainable Bioeconomy worldwide.

Business as usual in economic activities, natural resource use and in lifestyle

is no longer an option to end the degradation of the environment !

The highest potentials for increasing agricultural productivity as well as for the production of RE are found in Africa 4, 5. Many African livelihoods are based on or characterized by agricultural activities. While the share of the population engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishery (tertiary sector) in the industrialized countries is steadily declining, the number of households engaged in agriculture in Africa has tripled during 1960 to 2000 6. To date, small-scale farmers (< 10 ha) 6 manage more than 80 % of natural resources and farmland in Africa 4, 7.

Hence, for bbR and RE production, small-scale farmers are of key-importance for the transition to an international BioEconomy.

However, small-scale farming systems in Africa are highly inefficient, labor intensive and often
characterized by duplication of efforts as. Losses of up to 50% of the food produced are recorded and attributed to harvest and processing activities. In addition, organic by-products, for instance maize cobs in Nigeria, frequently remain un-used after the corns are harvested.

Such organic wastes or neglected biomass, however, could provide the feedstock for multiple uses, such as composites, bioenergy and organic fertilizers.

Through sustainable agricultural production methods,  

knowledge about the local environment and

the consideration of all related social, institutional, technical and economical aspects

the production of bbR and RE can be increased by locally appropriate technologies. 

IFES offer a promising, yet sustainable solution for the combined production of the 4Fs’ in order to provide an incentive for self-sustainable rural livelihoods

and the transition to an international BioEconomy.

References:

1. Staffas, L., Gustavsson, M., McCormick, K. (2013)
Strategies and Policies for the Bioeconomy and Bio-Based Economy: An Analysis of Official National Approaches.
Sustainability 2013, Vol. 5, S. 2751-2769; doi:10.3390/su5062751.

2. Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE) (2013)
Global Food – Waste not, Want not.
Available at: http://www.imeche.org/docs/default-source/reports/Global_Food_Report.pdf, accessed on 08.12.2013.

3. Federal Ministry of Statistics Baden Württemberg (2013)
Economical sectors. Available at: http://www.statistik.baden-wuerttemberg.de/ArbeitsmErwerb/Indikatoren/ET_wirtschSektoren.asp, accessed on 08.12.2013.

4. FAO (2011)
Save and grow: A policymaker’s guide to the sustainable intensification of smallholder crop production. Rome 2011. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2215e/i2215e.pdf, accessed 23.05.2013

5. De Vries B J M, van Vuuren D P, Hoogwijk M (2007)
Renewable energy sources: Their global potential for the first-half of the 21st century at a global level: An integrated approach.

In: Energy Policy Vol. 35, p. 2590-2610.

6. Jayne T S, Mather J and Mghenyi I (2010)
Principal Challenges Confronting Smallholder Agriculture in SSA.
In: World Development Vol. 38, No. 10, p. 1384-1398.

7. IAASTD - McIntyre D H, Herren H R, Wakhungu J, Watson R T (eds.) (2008)
International assessment of agricultural knowledge, science and technology for development (IAASTD): Synthesis report with executive summary - a synthesis of the global and sub-global IAASTD reports.

Available at: http://www.unep.org/dewa/ Assessments/Ecosystems/IAASTD/tabid/105853/default.aspx/reports/IAASTD/EN/Agriculture%20at%20a%20Crossroads_Synthesis%20Report%20(English).pdf, accessed 23.05.2013.