Risk Prevention and Management

Bioenergy development may create opportunities and risks. In order to ensure that the development of the bioenergy sector fosters both food and energy security, and that it contributes to agricultural and rural development in a sustainable and climate-smart way, the risks need to be properly identified, prevented and managed.

The BEFS Analytical Framework provides tools and guidance that can help countries identify potential risks and trade-offs associated with different bioenergy development pathways.

In addition, the BEFS Approach offers tools and guidance that can help policy-makers prevent and manage environmental and socio-economic risks associated with bioenergy development, including:

• Good environmental practices that can be implemented by bioenergy feedstock producers in order to minimize the risk of negative environmental impacts from their operations, and to ensure that bioenergy contributes to climate change mitigation while safeguarding and possibly fostering food security. 
• Good socio-economic practices that can help minimize the risks and increase the opportunities for food security associated with bioenergy operations. 
• Policy instruments that can be used to require or promote good practices in bioenergy feedstock production and to discourage bad practices. 
• Planning tools and methodologies that can be used to inform the development of a sustainable bioenergy sector and of sustainable operations, and to assess the main environmental and socio-economic risks associated with individual operations or with the bioenergy sector as a whole. 
• The web-based Operator Level Food Security Assessment Tool, which can be used to appraise investments and thus prevent and manage risks associated with individual operations.