The Bioenergy and Food Security (BEFS) technical meeting will take place in the framework of the project entitled “Supporting Public and Private Sector Capacities in Sustainable Agricultural and Bioenergy Investments”, a project developed between FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The overall objective of the project is to produce recommendations to support decision-making process related to bioenergy investments in Turkey. The analysis that will be carried out by FAO experts will define the potential for production of heat, electricity and power from agriculture based residues in the country.

With the support of Ministry’s General Directorate of Agriculture Policies and Research (TAGEM), the analysis will be built on the existing research and initiatives related to bioenergy deployment, current energy and agriculture status and bioenergy developments in Turkey.  The project aims at providing the stakeholders improved tools that will identify priority areas for bioenergy investment, detect market and regulatory barriers and help addressing related market and environmental risks.

The following areas will be discussed during the technical consultation meeting:  

1. Crop residues - the availability and potential for mobilization for energy production

• Residue to crop ratio across different regions in Turkey
• How much residues is/should be left in the field regions in Turkey, considering soil conditions
• Use of residues for feed and bedding in different regions in Turkey
• Burning of residues

2. Livestock residues – the production and potential for mobilization for energy production

• Production of cattle and chicken manure (considering age, sex and animal type)
• Size and types of agricultural holdings keeping livestock
• Cattle feeding systems
• Manure management systems

The above listed topics will be discussed in relation to the type of agricultural production systems, type and size of agricultural holding (small scale, large scale), national agriculture development strategy/policy.

3. Residues from agro-food processing industries

• Agro-food supply chains
• Processing residues and losses
• Residues management