Can biofuels be sustainable in an unsustainable agriculture?

Daniel De La Torre Ugarte; Chad M. Hellwinckel

Can biofuels be sustainable in an unsustainable agriculture?

Daniel De La Torre Ugarte, Chad M. Hellwinckel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

The expansion of biofuels has increased the utilization of grains, oilseed by-products, and sugar. Coincidentally, prices of agricultural commodities have substantially increased. Changes in land use driven by high prices are pressuring the expansion of agriculture into environmentally sensitive areas. Such expansion is leading some to question the sustainability of biofuels as a desirable source of energy. However, the increase utilization of agricultural commodities for biofuels can not completely explain the higher prices, indicating that there are other structural forces in agriculture, besides biofuels production, that need to be included in the debate. Land use, crop mix, crop production methods, and changes in food consumption patterns, must also be part of the biofuels debate. This presentation situates biofuels within the context of what is happening in agriculture and discusses avenues to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and biofuels.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	American Chemical Society - 236th National Meeting and Exposition, Abstracts of Scientific Papers
State	Published - 2008
Externally published	Yes
Event	236th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2008 - Philadelpia, PA, United States Duration: Aug 17 2008 → Aug 21 2008

Publication series

Name	ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts
ISSN (Print)	0065-7727

Conference

Conference	236th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2008
Country/Territory	United States
City	Philadelpia, PA
Period	08/17/08 → 08/21/08

Cite this

@inproceedings{2675590ff0a24fd5ac0ca4ec89a4a716,

title = "Can biofuels be sustainable in an unsustainable agriculture?",

abstract = "The expansion of biofuels has increased the utilization of grains, oilseed by-products, and sugar. Coincidentally, prices of agricultural commodities have substantially increased. Changes in land use driven by high prices are pressuring the expansion of agriculture into environmentally sensitive areas. Such expansion is leading some to question the sustainability of biofuels as a desirable source of energy. However, the increase utilization of agricultural commodities for biofuels can not completely explain the higher prices, indicating that there are other structural forces in agriculture, besides biofuels production, that need to be included in the debate. Land use, crop mix, crop production methods, and changes in food consumption patterns, must also be part of the biofuels debate. This presentation situates biofuels within the context of what is happening in agriculture and discusses avenues to enhance the sustainability of agriculture and biofuels.",

author = "{De La Torre Ugarte}, Daniel and Hellwinckel, {Chad M.}",

year = "2008",

language = "English",

isbn = "9780841269941",

series = "ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts",

booktitle = "American Chemical Society - 236th National Meeting and Exposition, Abstracts of Scientific Papers",

note = "236th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2008 ; Conference date: 17-08-2008 Through 21-08-2008",

}

De La Torre Ugarte, D & Hellwinckel, CM 2008, Can biofuels be sustainable in an unsustainable agriculture? in American Chemical Society - 236th National Meeting and Exposition, Abstracts of Scientific Papers. ACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts, 236th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2008, Philadelpia, PA, United States, 08/17/08.