Lignocellulosic Crops in Agricultural Landscapes: Production systems for biomass and other environmental benefits – examples, incentives, and barriers

Policies to support bioenergy have been promoted in part to address concerns about the negative impacts caused by fossil energy systems. Agriculture provides food, fibre and bioenergy products, but increased production can be sustainably achieved only if negative impacts on, e.g., soils, water, biodiversity and climate are avoided or minimized. Agriculture can also provide other social and economic benefits, ranging from rural income and employment, to the conservation of cultures, and pleasing visual landscapes. Many risks associated with conventional agricultural production systems and fossil fuels could be mitigated or avoided, through the development of sustainable production systems for lignocellulosic bioenergy crops.