The impending threats of catastrophic climate change and peak oil are driving our society towards increased use of biomass for energy, chemical compounds and other materials - the beginnings of a biobased economy. As alternative development models for the biobased economy emerge, we need to determine potential applications, their perspectives and possible impacts as well as policies that can steer technological and market development in such a way that our objectives are met. Currently, it is still far from clear what will be the most sustainable routes to follow, which technologies should be included, and how their development will affect, and be affected by, research, public opinion and policy and market forces.
This groundbreaking work, edited by a group of leading researchers originally from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands, sets out to unpick the complex systems in play. It provides an illuminating framework for how policy and market players could and should drive the development of a biobased economy that is effective, sustainable, fair and cost efficient. Starting with a state-of-the-art overview of major biobased technologies, including biorefinery and technologies for the production of biofuels, biogas, biomass feedstocks for chemistry and bioplastics, it discusses how different actor groups interact through policy and markets. Information from case studies is used to demonstrate how the potential of the biobased economy in different parts of the world, such as North America, Europe, and emerging economies like China and Brazil can be realised using research, debate, policy and commercial development. The result is an essential resource for all those working in or concerned with biobased industries, their policy or research.
'Very easy to read for specialists and non-specialists alike... [the] book is a good source of knowledge for all who may be interested in learning about the paradigm shift that is in the making and that is likely to impact our lives significantly.'
Biofuels and Products Research
'Very useful.'
José Moreira, director of the Brazilian Reference Center on Biomass (CENBIO), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
'Large-scale biomass use is currently hotly debated. The Biobased Economy shows that it is possible to overcome the risks by introducing more efficient, innovative, uses of biomass, based on the refining of biomass, providing input for chemicals, feed and energy. These novel routes have the potential to improve the efficiency of biomass application per unit of land by at least a factor 3. Based on a detailed discussion of the technological, environmental and policy aspects that are involved in making the transition, the book convincingly shows that a transition to a biobased economy can facilitate the replacement of fossil fuels by biomass in our societies. This might be an essential step in managing the problem of climate change.'
Detlef van Vuuren (PhD), Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), and a Lead Author of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report
Section One – Towards Sustainability
1 General Introduction
2 Transition Towards a Biobased Economy
3 Challenges for Sustainable Development
4 Principles of Plant Production
5 Plant Breeding and its Role in a Biobased Economy
6 Biomass Availability
Section Two – Biomass Refining and Conversion
Introduction to Section II
7 Biorefineries: Giving Value to Sustainable Biomass Use
8 Plant Production of Chemical Building Blocks
9 The Production of Chemicals in a Biobased Economy
10 Advanced Biofuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass
11 Biogas
Section Three – Actor Involvement
Introduction to Section III
12 Policy Making for the Biobased Economy
13 Biobased Industrialization in Developing Countries
14 Biobased Production Chains
15 Biofuel Policies, Production, Trade and Land Use
16 Public Debate on Sustainability of Biofuels
Section Four – Transition in Action
Introduction to Section IV
17 Biodiesel from Brazil
18 Biobased Products and Bioenergy in Germany
19 Development of the Biobased Economy in Canada – an overview
20 A Biobased Economy for the Netherlands
21 Synthesis
Hans Langeveld is Director of Biomass Research, a company that develops analytical instruments for sustainable biomass production. Formerly, he was Senior Researcher at Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre,and Researcher at the Centre for World Food Studies of the Free University Amsterdam, both in the Netherlands. He has been project leader of several bioenergy projects and is author of over 30 scientific papers as well as a book on European farming systems.
Marieke Meeusen is Senior Researcher in Sustainable Agricultural Chains in the Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Wageningen University and Research Centre, where she is deputy head of the Markets and Networks section, and leading a research programme on biobased economy. She is author of several studies on bioenergy and biobased economy.
Johan Sanders is Professor on Valorization of plant production chains at Wageningen University, and research leader at the Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, both of Wageningen University and Research Centre. He has held several research and management positions at leading agro-chemical industries in The Netherlands where he developed a unique vision on the application of biorefinery technologies and development of a Biobased economy for the Netherlands.