The Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach
The Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) Approach offers tools and guidance to support countries in designing and implementing sustainable bioenergy policies and strategies. The approach promotes food and energy security and contributes to agricultural and rural development. Countries may decide to use specific components of the BEFS Approach depending on the level of bioenergy development, and the status of bioenergy policy formulation and implementation.
This approach can be implemented directly by governments, experts in the field and other stakeholders at national, regional and project level. FAO supports countries and experts who are interested in implementing the BEFS Approach.
The BEFS detailed analysis covers four main areas:
- Country context;
- Natural Resources assessment;
- Techno-economic and environmental analysis, and
- Socio-economic and environmental analysis.
The Country context reviews the context of a country's agriculture sector, its performance and policies, the energy sector and its performance and strategies, as well as the environmental context and policy, given the overall economic context. The food security context of the country is examined within the context and performance of the agriculture sector.
The Natural resources assessment covers crops and forestry based on the country’s scope and interest in bioenergy use.
The Techno-economic and environmental analyses generate information on bioenergy production costs, investment requirements, potential job creation, energy
access options etc., and the impact that different bioenergy production pathways have on GHG emissions.
The socio-economic analysis addresses the economy-wide impacts and can include household food security and vulnerability analyses as well.
Bioenergy and Food Security analytical framework
- Part I: BEFS analytical framework
- Part II: BEFS toolbox
- Part III: Annexes
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 Approach offers tools and guidance that can help policy-makers prevent and manage environmental and socio-economic risks associated with bioenergy development.
Key resources:
- Good Environmental Practices in Bioenergy Feedstock Production
- Good Socio-economic Practices in modern bioenergy production
Key resources
FAO BEFS'approach: Implementation guide
2016
Sustainable energy, energy that is accessible, cleaner and more efficient, is key to achieving economic development and poverty reduction targets. Currently...
Additional resources
Implementation of the BEFS approach
The BEFS approach has been implemented in 22 countries.