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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Soil, Water & Air Resources Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #291644
Title: Selected global examples of cellulosic cropping system trends

Author
item Karlen, Douglas
item GALDOS, MARCELO - Brazilian Bioethanol Science & Technology Laboratory
item RABELO, SARITA - Brazilian Bioethanol Science & Technology Laboratory
item FRANCO, HENRIQUE - Brazilian Bioethanol Science & Technology Laboratory
item BONOMI, ANTONIO - Brazilian Bioethanol Science & Technology Laboratory
item LI, JIHONG - Tsinghua University
item LI, SHI-ZHONG - Tsinghua University
item OVARD, LESLIE - Idaho National Laboratory

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2013
Publication Date: 3/5/2014
Citation: Karlen, D.L., Galdos, M.V., Rabelo, S.C., Franco, H.C., Bonomi, A., Li, J., Li, S., Ovard, L. 2014. Selected global examples of cellulosic cropping system trends. In: Karlen, D.L., editor. Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. p. 345-364.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Plant biomass has been recognized globally as an important link to a sustainable energy future because it can be grown universally and converted into liquid transportation fuels or other material through biochemical, thermochemical, or catalytic conversion processes. A key challenge is that cellulosic feedstocks for biofuels and other bio-products must be accomplished in an economically viable, environmentally benign, and socially sustainable manner. As the concluding chapter for the book entitled "Cellulosic Energy Cropping Systems" this chapter examines current feedstocks, conversion technologies, progress toward commercialization, and enabling government policiies in Brazil, China, and India as those countries strive to develop new sustainable bioenergy industries. Although some may scoff that these bioenergy developments will soon fade as they did in the U.S. following the 1970s oil crisis, the authors of this chapter are much more optimistic because now there is a much better public awareness of sustainability and the fact that fossil fuel resources are finite. Furthermore, as activities in these three countries illustrate, private sector and government investments have been and are continuing to be made in these new technologies.