The global cropland footprint of the non-food bioeconomy
The global cropland footprint of the non-food bioeconomy
dc.contributor.author | Bruckner, Martin | |
dc.contributor.author | Giljum, Stefan | |
dc.contributor.author | Fischer, Günther | |
dc.contributor.author | Tramberend, Sylvia | |
dc.contributor.author | Börner, Jan | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2024-09-12T07:30:21Z | |
dc.date.available | 2024-09-12T07:30:21Z | |
dc.date.issued | 04.2018 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11811/12105 | |
dc.description.abstract | A rapidly growing share of global agricultural areas is devoted to the production of biomass for non-food purposes. The derived products include, for example, biofuels, textiles, detergents or cosmetics. Given the far-reaching global implications of an expanding non- food bioeconomy, an assessment of the bioeconomy’s resource use from a footprint perspective is urgently needed. We determine the global cropland footprint of non-food products with a hybrid land flow accounting model combining data from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the multi-regional input-output model EXIOBASE. The globally interlinked model covers all cropland areas used for the production of crop- and animal-based non-food commodities for the years from 1995 to 2010. We analyse global patterns of raw material producers, processers and consumers of bio-based non-food products, with a particular focus on the European Union. Results illustrate that the EU is a major processer and the number one consumer region of non-food cropland, despite being only the fifth largest producing region. Two thirds of the cropland required to satisfy EU non-food consumption are located in other world regions, giving rise to a significant dependency on imported products and to potential impacts on distant ecosystems. With almost 29% in 2010, oilseed production, used to produce, for example, biofuels, detergents and polymers, represents the dominant share in the EU’s non-food cropland footprint. There is also a significant contribution of more traditional non-food biomass uses such as fibre crops (for textiles) and animal hides and skins (for leather products). Our study emphasises the importance of comprehensively assessing the implications of the non-food bioeconomy expansion as envisaged in various policy strategies, such as the Bioeconomy Strategy of the European Commission. | de |
dc.format.extent | 30 | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.relation.ispartofseries | ZEF-Discussion Papers on Development Policy ; 253 | |
dc.rights | In Copyright | |
dc.rights.uri | http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ | |
dc.subject | Bioeconomy | |
dc.subject | land footprint | |
dc.subject | non-food products | |
dc.subject | multi-regional input-output analysis | |
dc.subject | hybrid land flow accounting | |
dc.subject.ddc | 300 Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie, Anthropologie | |
dc.subject.ddc | 320 Politik | |
dc.subject.ddc | 330 Wirtschaft | |
dc.title | The global cropland footprint of the non-food bioeconomy | |
dc.type | Arbeitspapier | |
dc.publisher.name | Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn | |
dc.publisher.location | Bonn | |
dc.rights.accessRights | openAccess | |
dc.relation.eissn | 1436-9931 | |
dc.relation.url | https://www.zef.de/fileadmin/user_upload/DP_ZEF_253.pdf | |
ulbbn.pubtype | Zweitveröffentlichung | |
dc.version | publishedVersion |