The demand for woody biomass for energy and biomaterial is increasing rapidly in line with the rise in global populations and changing consumption patterns for sustainable resources. Central to meeting this demand is answering the question of how woody biomass and biofuel production and use can be reconciled with food production, biodiversity protection, climate-change resilience and mitigation, and inclusive prosperity for local communities. In many cases, policy and development interventions tend to address these issues in isolation whereas they are interconnected.

CIFOR-ICRAF and partners propose — and are demonstrating — integrated approaches to food and energy security that focus on bioeconomy opportunities and are based on agroecological principles. Such opportunities are identified with a view of value chains for diverse bioeconomic products, such as food crops, woody biomass for energy, and non-timber forest products. In terms of agroecological principles, emphasis is on measures to increase soil fertility and the diversity of plant and animal species and on improving control of pests and diseases, management of water and promotion of a combination of multi-structured land uses. 

This talk highlights such approaches with examples from across diverse geographies and settings. In Southeast Asia, integrated approaches to climate-smart agroforestry produce a variety of food, energy and biomaterial while restoring degraded landscapes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a balanced agroforestry approach considers demand and supply dynamics in wood-energy value chains, food production, recovery of waste bioresources for energy, and the use of improved kilns and stoves, with a significant impact on improving smallholders’ livelihoods and reducing pressure on forests. In the Western Balkans, the combination of short-rotation plantations of fast-growing tree species (willow, poplar), agroforestry borders and permanent tree areas enhances energy security, income generation and biodiversity in landscapes otherwise dominated by the production of wheat, maize and sunflowers while at the same time contributing to the urgently needed energy transition away from coal.

Our findings indicate integrated approaches to bioeconomy based on agroecological principles are an often-overlooked pathway to producing healthy foods, providing sustainable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating equitable jobs and prosperity, and conserving biodiversity at global scale.