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Fuel and Energy Use in the Fisheries Sector: Approaches, Inventories and Strategic Implications












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    Fuel and financial savings for operators of small fishing vessels 1999
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    Fishing continues to be the most energy-intensive food production method in the world today, and it depends almost completely upon oil fuel-based internal combustion engines. There are as yet no signs of any other energy source that could substitute the internal combustion engine in either the medium or short term. The industry continues to be exposed to global fuel prices and it cannot be assumed that these will remain stable indefinitely. Small-scale fisheries account for nearly half of the world's fish production and, although they are generally more labour-intensive than larger industrial fisheries, they are increasingly affected by energy costs. In developing countries, in spite of the energy conservation initiatives of the 1980s (subsequent to the dramatic rise in the cost of fossil fuels), mechanization continues to increase. Fuel costs have ever more influence not only on consumer prices but also on fishermen's and boat owners' net incomes. When levels of employment and cost -sharing systems are considered, it becomes even more important from a social perspective to improve and maintain energy efficiency within small-scale fisheries. This guide presents information on the key technical areas that affect energy efficiency, but only part of the information presented herein will be applicable to any particular fishing situation. The guide is not a result of new original fieldwork but draws on much of the research and experience of the past two decades, updated where possible to include new technical developments. The guide is divided into two major sections: the first relates to changes in operational techniques rather than changes in technology; the second presents information of relevance to vessel operators who are either considering the construction of a new vessel or overhauling and re-equipping an existing vessel.
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    Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood sector. Methodology 2017
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    The food production and supply chain consumes about 30 percent of total end-use energy globally, and contributes to over 20 percent of total annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (excluding emissions or sinks from land use change). A growing worldwide population, changing diets and growing economic development will all serve to increase competition for land, water and energy resources – which already face problems of environmental degradation and, in some cases, scarcity. To address these challe nges, agrifood systems at every scale, from the small family farm to the vertically integrated corporate farm level, will have to become more efficient by using less land, water, fertilizers, energy and other inputs to produce more food more sustainably, and with greater resilience to weather pattern changes and extreme events. Technology adoption is bound to play an important part in this adjustment process. There are significant regional variations in the ability to respond to these challenges . In particular, countries that face food insecurity naturally put concerns over GHG emission reductions or other environmental issues in second place. Still, in specific situations technology adoption can help reduce a country’s environmental footprint and go hand in hand with both improved food security and rural development. The goal of this document is therefore to provide guidance in assessing options for GHG emission reductions and decoupling the agrifood industry from its dependency on fo ssil fuels in a context where various goals are important: increased crop productivity, efficient use of water, improved livelihoods for the rural poor, and sustainable development. As a contribution to quickly expanding literature on the subject, the present document provides a practical methodology to enable a country or funding agency to assess and monitor the market penetration of sustainable climate technologies and practices in agrifood chains. Market penetration is defined as a measure of the adoption of an agrifood technology or practice in a specific market. The guidelines are useful not only to estimate the current market penetration, but also – and more importantly – to assess the potential for further adoption and to reduce GHG emissions efficiently. The methodology therefore takes into consideration important features of each technology including: market potential, technical and non-technical barriers to adoption and unit cost in terms of US dollars per tonnes of carbon di oxide equivalent (USD/tCO2eq). The result is a characterisation of a set of technologies and practices which can lead to identification of “best bet” options to reduce emissions from the agrifood sector on the basis of local conditions. Moreover, the results include a discussion of policy areas that may need reform, and specifically what can be the drivers to promote adoption of such best bet technology options.
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    What woodfuels can do to mitigate climate change 2010
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    Climate change can be mitigated in several ways, but most strategies emphasize reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy use and switching to energy sources that are less carbon intensive than fossil fuels. This publication explores the scope, potential and implications for using woodfuels to replace fossil fuels and thereby contribute to climate change mitigation. It analyses the current woodfuel offset mechanisms in place and their relative emission reduction potenti als. The scope is limited to solid woodfuels (fuelwood, charcoal, prepared biomass such as woodchips and pellets, and recovered products or residues from wood processing industries). However, some themes covered will be applicable to all woodfuels, notably the socio-economic and environmental impacts, financing options and overall development implications of more intensive and efficient use of woodfuels. The publication will be of interest to specialists and policy-makers in fo restry, climate change and renewable energy, as well as to forest managers, students and general audiences interested in learning more about the role of forests in energy production and the resulting mitigation potential.

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