By expanding energy biomass production on marginal lands that are not currently used for crops, food price increases and indirect climate change effects can be mitigated. Studies of the availability of marginal lands for dedicated bioenergy crops have focused on biophysical land traits, ignoring the human role in decisions to convert marginal land to bioenergy crops. Recent history offers insights about farmer willingness to put non-crop land into crop production. The 2006-09 leap in field crop prices and the attendant 64% gain in typical profitability led to only a 2% increase in crop planted area, mostly in the prairie states
Revised: August 1, 2011 |
Published: June 12, 2011
Citation
Swinton S., B. Babcock, L. James, and V. Bandaru. 2011.Higher U.S. Crop Prices Trigger Little Area Expansion so Marginal Land for Biofuel Crops Is Limited.Energy Policy 39, no. 9:5254-5258.PNNL-SA-80281.doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2011.05.039