Up to a fifth of global energy could be provided by biomass without damaging food production, according to a new report from the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), at Imperial College, London.

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Based on their findings, the researchers called for scientists working on food and agriculture to work more closely with bio-energy specialists to address challenges such as water availability and environmental protection. In a release from the UKERC, the researchers said, “If biomass is required to play a major role in the future energy system, the linkages between bio-energy and food production will become too important for either to be considered in isolation.”

They also called for more investment into technological advances to increase bio-energy production, claiming a renewed focus on increasing food and energy crop yields could deliver a win-win opportunity as long as it is done without damaging soil fertility or depleting water resources.

“If we make the best use of agricultural residues, energy crops and waste materials then getting one fifth of current global energy supply from biomass is a reasonable ambition,” said Dr Raphael Slade, the report’s lead author and a Research Fellow at Imperial College London.

However, he admitted that, under current conditions, “The more bio-energy you want the harder it becomes to reconcile demand for food, energy and environmental protection.”

According to UKERC figures, replacing all fossil fuels with biomass would take the equivalent of all global agriculture and commercial forestry combined, and so could only become possible if we can grow more food on less land.

The authors stressed that biomass should include waste from pulp mills and agricultural waste as well as controversial biocrops. They said that in countries such as Brazil, where there is an abundance of land, energy crops are not such an issue, whereas in the UK a focus on waste and ‘agricultural residue’ would be preferable.

However, Dr Slade admitted that, in countries including Brazil, governance and regulation was essential to prevent abuse of this system and deforestation which could occur.

“Bioenergy may need to play a part in a future low carbon energy mix,” said Dr Ausilio Bauen, Head of Bioenergy at Imperial College’s Centre for Energy Policy and Technology.

“Ensuring bio-energy, food and forests don't compete for land won't be straightforward. But, if we use land more productively, and make better use of available plant material, we should be perfectly capable of producing bio-energy, feeding a growing population, and conserving the environment all at the same time.”

Although he largely agreed with the use of waste to fuel biomass power stations, Rob paulgrove of Biofuel Watch said the report failed to take into account the reality of biofuel production on the ground.

He said, “It’s a typical analysis done by people sitting comfortably in UK scientific institutions, looking out at the rest of the world. The majority of bioenergy production that would be required to deliver a fifth of global energy consumption, which would come from poorer countries, like Africa, Latin America South Asia. Where is their input?"

He conculded, “If we accept that large scale biomass doesn’t reduce our carbon emissions, what is the point of doing it? What is the point of going to other countries and converting their so-called marginal land and so-called abandoned land to energy producing monocultures for shipment elsewhere?”

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