Bioenergy

First FAO technical consultation on "How to design, implement and replicate sustainable livelihood oriented small-scale bioenergy initiatives"

The FAO Bioenergy group held its first technical consultation, on "How to design, implement and replicate sustainable livelihood oriented small-scale bio energy initiatives" from 28 to 29 October 2009, at FAO Headquarters in Rome. The consultation aimed at sharing experiences in promotion of small scale bioenergy livelihood initiatives from Africa, Asia, Latin and Central American countries, with the objective to identify success factors and feasible replication approaches as well as possible collaboration between different types of stakeholders on this topic.

Related links:

•  Small-Scale Bioenergy Initiatives:Brief description and preliminary lessons on livelihood impacts from case studies in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Final report, 2009, FAO. Download publication here.

• FAO - Rural development and bioenergy web portal.

New publication Making Sustainable Biofuels Work for Smallholder Farmers and Rural Households

The issue paper "Making Sustainable Biofuels Work for Smallholder Farmers and Rural Households" provides an overview of the main risks and opportunities that may arise from liquid biofuel production and use in developing countries. Both the potential environmental impacts and the socio-economic effects of liquid biofuel production and use are discussed, focusing, in particular, on the household-level implications. Recommendations on how to minimize the risks and exploit the rural development and poverty reduction potential offered by liquid biofuels are also included in the paper...

Download the publication here.

New project on criteria and indicators for bioenergy and food security

With the support of the German Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, FAO has recently launched the Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) project, aimed at developing detailed principles, criteria and indicators on bioenergy and food security through September 2011.

Building on the findings of BEFS and on FAO’s comparative advantage a first draft of these principles, criteria and indicators will be discussed at a dedicated technical consultation that will take place at FAO Headquarters in Rome in October 2009.

The identified principles, criteria and indicators will then be field-tested through the conduction of three qualitative feasibility studies, and validated through international, multistakeholder consultations to be held at FAO Headquarters and Regional Offices during 2010. Read more...

Uniting efforts to develop bioenergy in Peru

Coordinated action among Peruvian ministries has been reached around the topics of bioenergy and food security.

High officials from Peruvian Ministries of Production, Environment, Energy and Mining and Agriculture met with representatives from FAO and the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Project last 3 June to present the BEFS Working Plan for 2009-2010.

An agreement to create a multi-sectoral committee on Bioenergy in Peru was reached during the June meeting. The committee will comprise all tour ministries providing the necessary boost to bioenergy activities in this country. Read more...