PublicationsWhat's BEFS all about?The main objective of the Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) is to ensure that food security concerns are taken into account within the bioenergy sector. For more information, scroll down or click on the links below.
Bioenergy: risks and opportunitiesBioenergy developments can pose an increased threat to food security because it may compete with the same natural resources used for food production. Expanding production of fuel crops can influence national and international markets, triggering price surges and greater price volatility for staple foods. In areas where fuel crops expand, vulnerable rural communities may find it more difficult to gain access to the land or water they need to earn their livelihoods.However, bioenergy development can also provide opportunities for increasing food security. It can generate employment and raise incomes in farming communities and spur rural development by providing a sustainable source of energy that is an affordable substitute for imported fossil fuels. Under the right conditions, investments in bioenergy can increase harvests for both food and fuel crops. The BEFS project does not advocate for bioenergy. It intends to give policy makers who may be exploring opportunities for bioenergy development, the tools they need to make informed decisions that take into account food security issues and in the broader context rural and agricultural development. Providing the tools to answer difficult questions
The status quo in agriculture for most developing countries is not an option for meeting future food requirements. If bioenergy development continues to be endorsed, then future food security may be further compromised given that bioenergy production competes for the same resources used for food production. BEFS provides decision makers with an analytical framework and a set of analytical tools to answer key questions in bioenergy development:
For more information, go to the analytical framework page. Putting the tools to use in the field
The links between bioenergy and food security are complex and the impacts can vary greatly from one country to another and also depending on the bioenergy fuel type considered. To learn from different experiences and supply the analytical tools with realistic and up-to-date information BEFS relies on country specific data. BEFS works closely with governments and country project teams to assist them in identifying their national policy objectives for bioenergy. The project is implementing the analytical tools in three countries Peru, Tanzania and Thailand. Go to BEFS country pages: Consultations and publicationsBEFS actively encourages dialogue amongst all of the different groups that have a stake in bioenergy development. It has organized bioenergy and food security consultations and workshops and collaborates with partners to promote sharing knowledge and increased cooperation. For more information, go to the Consultation and publications page. | New on the BEFSCI siteBEFSCI has released several new publications, prepared a compilation of good socio-economic practices and launched its Operator Level Food Security Assessment Tool. Go to the BEFSCI web site. See also
DocumentsDonorsBEFS is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Government of Germany.
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last updated: Wednesday, May 23, 2012