WORLD AGROFORESTRY CENTER REPORTS ON "BIODIESEL IN THE AMAZON"

http://climate-l.iisd.org/news/icraf-releases-paper-on-biodiesel-in-the-amazon/?referrer=climate-change-daily-feed
http://nature.berkeley.edu/societyandenvironment/events/biodiesel-in-the-brazilian-amazon

The World Agroforestry Center (formerly the International Center for Research in Agroforestry, ICRAF) recently released a report on biodiesel in the Brazilian Amazon. The report looks at agroenergy policy in the Amazon, and highlights "approaches taken by Brazilian Federal and state governments to consider the social and environmental sustainability of soybean and palm oil production in the Amazon." The traditional biodiesel feedstock has been initially soybean, but recent initiatives have been made for the use of palm oil. Interviews with Brazilian policy officials were conducted to examine the extent to which the "palm oil initiatives" are considered sustainable with regard to social and environmental impacts. The paper mentioned that the biodiesel industry and the federal and state governments are taking into account recent studies, which question the "social and environmental sustainability of the oil palm production model currently being adopted in the Amazon." With the present situation, the paper concludes that "palm oil developments will need improved policy and monitoring." The full paper can be accessed at the World Agroforestry website (URL above).

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This article is part of the Crop Biotech Update, a weekly summary of world developments in agri-biotech for developing countries, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology,International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)