Biosecurity and sustainability within the growing global bioeconomy

Sheppard, Andy; Gillespie, Iain A.; Hirsch, M.; Begley, Cameron

doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2010.12.011

Cited by 106 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…There have been proposals that land that is unsuitable for growing food, i.e., that is idle, fallow, marginal, degraded, or abandoned, should mainly be used for the production of energy crops [37,50]. Marginal soils are often characterized by a combination of geophysical constraints (insufficient soil quality, high risk of erosion, unreliable water supply) and socioeconomic deficits (scarcity of labor, uncertain land tenure, limited infrastructure, poor market accessibility).…”

Section: The Role Of Future Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The protagonists of this strategy argue that the cultivation of GM crops protects the environment by reducing the need for mechanical tillage and pesticide use, increases yield, and permits an eco-efficient agriculture, which is able to ensure global food security [46,73]. Critics of genetic engineering fear environmental risks due to certain features of genetically optimized plants (novel crops) like reduced habitat preferences and pest resistance [37,[78][79][80][81]. The main risks are seen in the possible invasion and introgression of GM-plants into natural ecosystems, the ingestion of toxic substances by humans and animals, allergic reactions to ingredients, or the introduction of new pests.…”

Section: Routes To Increase Agricultural Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the most serious objections results from the conviction that the available biomass will be insufficient to meet the demand if food security and the maintenance of environmental capital and ecosystem services are given priority. Therefore, they expect that land use competition between food production and energy cropping will become exacerbated, that the scarcity of resources such as water and phosphorus will be intensified, that the conversion of primary forests, species-rich grassland, or wetlands into agricultural land will continue, that monocultures and the loss of biodiversity will increase, and that this development will be detrimental to indigenous people and small farmers in the developing world [33][34][35][36][37].…”

Section: Understanding Of the Sustainability Postulatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pathways to Shape the Bioeconomy

2017

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Abstract:In view of the increasing depletion of fossil fuel resources, the concept "bioeconomy" aims at the gradual replacement of fossil fuels by renewable feedstock. Seen as a comprehensive societal transition, the bioeconomy is a complex field that includes a variety of sectors, actors, and interests and is related to far-reaching changes in today's production systems. While the objectives pursued-such as reducing dependence on fossil fuels, mitigating climate change, ensuring global food security, and increasing the industrial use of biogenic resources-are not generally contentious, there is fierce controversy over the possible pathways for achieving these objectives. Based on a thorough literature review, the article identifies major lines of conflict in the current discourse. Criticism of the prevalent concept refers mainly to the strong focus on technology, the lack of consideration given to alternative implementation pathways, the insufficient differentiation of underlying sustainability requirements, and the inadequate participation of societal stakeholders. Since today it cannot be predicted which pathway will be the most expedient-the one already being taken or one of the others proposed-this paper suggests pursuing a strategy of diversity concerning the approaches to shape the bioeconomy, the funding of research topics, and the involvement of stakeholders.

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Section: The Role Of Future Food Securitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Routes To Increase Agricultural Yieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Understanding Of the Sustainability Postulatementioning

confidence: 99%

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Pathways to Shape the Bioeconomy

2017

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“…Ecological risk assessments through in situ field experimental research studies are considered effective at assessing the invasiveness risk of biofuel crops in the field [12,13,20]. This in situ fieldbased invasiveness evaluation approach may also help to regulate and design adaptive management strategies and mitigations in the cultivation of those currently adopted biofuel crops [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Insufficient Evidence of Jatropha curcas L. Invasiveness: Experimental Observations in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Negussie

Nacro²,

Achten

et al. 2014

Bioenerg. Res.

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Biofuel plants such as Jatropha curcas L. have potential to support the livelihoods of rural communities and contribute to sustainable rural development in Africa, if risks and uncertainties are minimized. Yet, recent papers have warned of the risk of biological invasions in such tropical regions as a consequence of the introduction of exotic biofuel crops. We investigated the seed dispersal risk and invasiveness potential of both J. curcas monoculture plantations and live fences into adjacent cultivated and uncultivated land use systems in Sissili province, Burkina Faso. Invasiveness potential was assessed through (i) detecting evidence of natural regeneration in perimeters around J. curcas plantations and live fences, (ii) assessing seed dispersal mechanisms, and (iii) assessing seedling establishment potential through in situ direct seed sowing. Spontaneous regeneration around the plantation perimeters of the three sites was very low. Individual seedling density around J. curcas live fences was less than 0.01 m −2 in all sites. Seventy percent of the seedlings were found close to the live fence and most of them derived from the same year (96 %), which indicates low seed-bank longevity and seedling survival. J. curcas can be dispersed by small mammals and arthropods, particularly rodents and ants. In some sites, such as in Onliassan, high secondary seed dispersal by animals (up to 98 %) was recorded. There were highly significant differences in germination rates between seeds at the soil surface (11 %) and those buried artificially at 1-2-cm depth (64 %). In conclusion, we failed to find convincing evidence of the spreading of J. curcas or any significant impact on the surrounding environment.

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“…This transformation would not only promote the cultivation of plants chosen for rapid growth rather than those optimized for starch production, but it would also efficiently use marginal land for the production of the biomass required to meet the increasing needs for biofuels and renewable materials (4,(16)(17)(18). Some cellulolytic microorganisms can accumulate microbial glycogen, but maximum glycogen yields are very low, for example, 2-4% (wt/wt) (19,20).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Enzymatic transformation of nonfood biomass to starch

You¹,

Chen

Myung³

et al. 2013

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

149

123

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The global demand for food could double in another 40 y owing to growth in the population and food consumption per capita. To meet the world's future food and sustainability needs for biofuels and renewable materials, the production of starch-rich cereals and cellulose-rich bioenergy plants must grow substantially while minimizing agriculture's environmental footprint and conserving biodiversity. Here we demonstrate one-pot enzymatic conversion of pretreated biomass to starch through a nonnatural synthetic enzymatic pathway composed of endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolyase, cellobiose phosphorylase, and alpha-glucan phosphorylase originating from bacterial, fungal, and plant sources. A special polypeptide cap in potato alpha-glucan phosphorylase was essential to push a partially hydrolyzed intermediate of cellulose forward to the synthesis of amylose. Up to 30% of the anhydroglucose units in cellulose were converted to starch; the remaining cellulose was hydrolyzed to glucose suitable for ethanol production by yeast in the same bioreactor. Next-generation biorefineries based on simultaneous enzymatic biotransformation and microbial fermentation could address the food, biofuels, and environment trilemma.bioeconomy | food and feed | synthetic amylose | in vitro synthetic biology | cell-free biomanufacturing T he continuing growth of the population and food consumption per capita means that the global demand for food could increase by 50-100% by 2050 (1, 2), and ∼30% of the world's agricultural land and 70% of the world's fresh water withdrawals are being used for the production of food and feed to support 7 billion people (3, 4). Starch is the most important dietary component because it accounts for more than half of the consumed carbohydrates, which provide 50-60% of the calories needed by humans. Starch is composed of polysaccharides consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together primarily by alpha-1,4-glycosidic bonds and alpha-1,6-glycosidic bonds. Linear-chain amylose is more valuable than branched amylopectin because it can be used as a precursor for making high-quality transparent, flexible, low-oxygen-diffusion plastic sheets and films (5, 6); tailored functional food or additives for lowering the risk of serious noninfectious diseases (e.g., diabetes and obesity) (7, 8); and a potential high-density hydrogen carrier (9-11). Also, it is easy to convert linear amylose to branched amylopectin by using alphaglucan-branching glycosyltransferase (12).Cellulose, a linear glucan linked by beta-1,4-glycosidic bonds, is the supporting material of plant cell walls and the most abundant carbohydrate on Earth. The annual resource of cellulosic materials is ∼40 times greater than the starch produced by crops cultivated for food and feed. In addition, (perennial) cellulosic plants and dedicated bioenergy crops can grow on low-quality land, even on marginal land, and require fewer inputs such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and water, whereas annual high-productivity starch-rich crops require high-qual...

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Biosecurity and sustainability within the growing global bioeconomy

Cited by 106 publications

References 37 publications

Pathways to Shape the Bioeconomy

Pathways to Shape the Bioeconomy

Insufficient Evidence of Jatropha curcas L. Invasiveness: Experimental Observations in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Enzymatic transformation of nonfood biomass to starch

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