New analysis will be presented supporting the proposition that bioenergy is likely to be an obligatory rather than discretionary part of a sustainable energy supply system. The underlying reasons for the broad disparity in assessments of the feasibility and desirability of large-scale bioenergy production will be considered. Thereafter, features of the Global Sustainable Bioenergy (GSB) project will be described, and the status of GSB tasks will summarized. These tasks address development of geographically-distributed pasture and energy crop productivity models, the interaction between soil fertility, food security, and bioenergy, and scenario analyses addressing 'making room' for bioenergy as well as systemic approaches to food and bioenergy production that positively and synergistically impact multiple human needs. Informed by recent results of the GSB project, potential approaches to gracefully reconcile very large-scale bioenergy production with other important priorities will be discussed with a particular emphasis on the potential for bioenergy production to positively impact food security.

Food and energy from the land: Turning necessity into opportunity

245th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.