Policy Instruments to Promote Good Practices in Bioenergy Feedstock Production

Modern bioenergy development, through its environmental and socio-economic impacts, may have positive or negative effects on the four dimensions of food security: availability; access; utilization, and stability. In order to ensure that modern bioenergy development is sustainable and that it safeguards food security, a number of good practices can be implemented throughout the bioenergy supply chain. Building on FAO's work on good practices in agriculture and forestry, the Bioenergy and Food Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) project has compiled a set of good environmental practices1 that can be implemented by bioenergy feedstock producers in order to minimize the risk of negative environmental impacts from their operations, and to ensure that modern bioenergy contributes to climate change mitigation while safeguarding and possibly fostering food security. BEFSCI has also compiled a set of good socio-economic practices2 that can help minimize the risks and increase the opportunities for