When I started research on crops like Miscanthus, I was immediately struck by how agriculture and energy (in terms of energy crops) are intertwined. AND there is a more responsible way to deal with growing things, whether that means food or crops for fuel. Of course there is the ever present "food vs. fuel" argument, which it turns is out more accurately termed a "animal feed vs. fuel for humans" debate (see previous blog post here).
As an example of how agricultural issues are also renewable energy issues (in terms of growing biofuel crops), a recent report by the UN points out that small scale farmers can boost yields of up to 80-116% by using ecological farming methods, or agro-ecology. Agro-ecology means using ecological principles to production of food, fuel, or fiber. Like any term, there is some debate over what exactly the term means, but my interpretation is that agro-ecology means growing things while thinking carefully about any effects your approaches have on the environment around you.
In this report, they contrast agro-ecology with conventional farming approaches, and find overwhelming support and evidence that the more sustainable agro-ecological approach is more productive for smaller farmers than the fossil fuel intensive conventional farming approach. For example, in Malawi, when chemical fertilizer subsidies were removed in favor of agro-ecological approaches, farmer yields of maize actually doubled!!
Given the impact on fertilizers and typical industrial/conventional farming practices on climate change, AND the evidence in support of moving back to the more sustainable and responsible farming approaches, there is no sense in not widely implementing agro-ecological methods. This topic is not readily discussed in the energy/biofuel world, but I think we can learn from the years of research in the agricultural world to implement the most responsible practices for all crops.
