Smallholders in Global Bioenergy Value Chains and Certification

Over the last few years, there has been growing interest in bioenergy, due in part to its
potential for rural development and climate change mitigation, and as an energy alternative
given the high price of oil. At the same time, concerns regarding the potential negative
impacts of bioenergy have also grown and have led to the development of a range of
voluntary standards aimed at ensuring the sustainability of bioenergy production. While
one of the goals of voluntary standards is to enhance the sustainability of bioenergy
production – including from a socio-economic perspective – they might also present
a disincentive for incorporating smallholders in value chains, due to greater cost and
complexity. FAO's Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) project
conducted three case studies to examine the opportunities and challenges for smallholders
presented by: 1) bioenergy as a new type of value chain, and by 2) bioenergy certification
schemes.