The growing use of bioenergy goes hand in hand with a heated public debate, in which conflicting claims are made regarding the amount of biomass that can be sustainably used for this purpose. This article assesses the current knowledge on biomass resource potentials and interrelated factors such as water availability, biodiversity, food demand, energy demand and agricultural commodity markets. A sensitivity analysis of the available information narrows the range of biomass potentials from 0-1500 EJ/yr to approximately 200-500 EJ/yr in 2050. In determining the latter range, water limitations, biodiversity protection and food demand are taken into consideration. Key factors are agricultural efficiency and crop choice. In principle, global biomass potentials could meet up to one third of the projected global energy demand in 2050.

This study explores people's perceptions (i.e., positive and negative associations, mixed feelings) regarding the concept of 'bio-based' in general and specific bio-based products. This exploratory study is one of the first consumer studies in the field of bio-based research. Three focus group discussions were organized in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and The Netherlands (with 89 participants in total) in which projective techniques were applied.Results of these group discussions indicate that participants are unfamiliar with 'bio-based' as a concept. 'Bio-based' is most often associated with positive environmental issues as "naturalness" and "environmental friendly" but also with negative environmental associations and to a lesser extent with technological and health issues. Associations with 'bio-based' as a general concept and with particular bio-based products can be simultaneously positive and negative, which caused uncertainty and mixed feelings by the respondents. This idea highlights both the complexity of and a lack of familiarity with the concept of 'bio-based'. Consumers have a holistic perception of bio-based products, i.e., they combine their perception of different aspects of the product in an evaluation of the whole product concept (e.g., their perception of the original product, usability, production method, proportion of bio-based materials used, price, packaging material, and appearance). Discussions on 'bio-based' as a concept are more general and abstract, while discussions and associations related to bio-based products are more specific. This study's qualitative approach illustrates in detail the great variety in consumers' perceptions, which can be both cognitive and affective (including positive, negative and mixed feelings towards 'bio-based' as a concept as well as bio-based products).

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True pricing en duurzame voedselsystemen; Verslag van interviews onder stakeholders in het voedseldomein over verwachtingen en wensen over true pricing om te komen tot een duurzaam voedselsysteem. Wageningen, Wageningen Economic Research, Rapport 2021-057. 26 blz.; 0 fig.; 0 tab.; 6 ref. Bij de start van de PPS True price van Inzicht naar Actie zijn alle partners geïnterviewd over hun verwachtingen en wensen met betrekking tot de uitkomsten van de verkenning hoe true pricing kan bijdragen aan de verduurzaming van het voedselsysteem. Partners willen via verschillende wegen true pricing inzetten om de productie van voedsel te verduurzamen en hebben de kennisleemten geuit.At the start of the True Price from Insight to Action pubic-private partnership (PPP), all partners were interviewed about their expectations and requirements regarding the findings of the exploratory study into how true pricing can contribute to the sustainability of the food system. Partners would like to use true pricing in different ways to make food production more sustainable, and they also discussed the knowledge gaps.Trefwoorden: interviews, kennisvragen, true pricing Dit rapport is gratis te downloaden op https://doi.org/10.18174/545787 of op www.wur.nl/ economic-research (onder Wageningen Economic Research publicaties).