The conflict of growing crops for biomass or food.

[Pilatus]

The looming world tight supply of cereals/ maize(corn), makes me question the growing of crops , worldwide, for biomass to feed AD facilities , versus using the same amount of ha’s to grow cereals for human /animal consumption.
Worldwide I wonder how many ha’s of biomass crops are grown to feed AD facilities.If those ha’s were growing combinable cereals , worldwide,would it make any significant difference to the situation that the tight worldwide grain supplies are heading towards, by the end of this year?

 

[toquark]

Don't disagree, but it could be argued that the energy crisis/inflation is just as severe as food price inflation, so by cutting production of AD and bioethanol, we could exacerbate that end of the problem.

We (society) need to accept that the current inflation is down to rubbish monetary policy over the last 20 or so years which has led to much more money chasing the same amount of produce. Tinkering around the edges of food and fuel production is unlikely to make much of a difference in my opinion.

 

[Grass And Grain]

At least it's producing energy.

I like a glass of beer, but if there's a food shortage, alcohol production (drinks) could be the first thing to stop. Millions of tonnes of grain used in GB alone.

 

[Farmer Roy]

At least it's producing energy.

I like a glass of beer, but if there's a food shortage, alcohol production (drinks) could be the first thing to stop. Millions of tonnes of grain used in GB alone.

i drink more beer than food I eat

I’d cut back on food before I stopped drinking

 

[ollie989898]

Energy, food, fibre, all needed if you ask me. You can get into sticky territory in no time if you want to argue the finer details of what we should or should not be growing.

 

[Courier]

Before agricultural power was provided by combustion engines (both external and internal) then horses and oxen were powered by feed grown in topsoil ........... The age of fossil fuelled Ag is coming to an end anyway...

 

[7610 super q]

I don't really see any food shortages yet. Plenty, even on here, trying to talk grain prices down.....
Crack on with biomass, plant trees, even re wild large areas. Let's plant less food, and drive prices into the 21st century where they belong.

 

[Tarw Coch]

I don't really see any food shortages yet. Plenty, even on here, trying to talk grain prices down.....
Crack on with biomass, plant trees, even re wild large areas. Let's plant less food, and drive prices into the 21st century where they belong.

I’ll let you plant the trees and rewild, I’m keeping my bit of land productive.

This time next year Rodney

 

[Courier]

I don't really see any food shortages yet. Plenty, even on here, trying to talk grain prices down.....
Crack on with biomass, plant trees, even re wild large areas. Let's plant less food, and drive prices into the 21st century where they belong.

All that will happen locally is a little less choice and price increases on the "staples", which will be very difficult for those with constrained incomes - Worldwide there will certainly be more areas of catastrophic shortage than there already are...

 

[teslacoils]

Its not a conflict at all.

In reality the world could do with both a) fewer people and b) everyone using less energy. However were humans and the reality is that next year there will be more humans and each one will want to use more energy.

 

[glasshouse]

France prohibits the use of food crops in biomass quite rightly

 

[DRC]

France prohibits the use of food crops in biomass quite rightly

AD crops have been very profitable here for a number of years . Maize, Rye, Beet .
The rest is feed wheat and feed barley that goes to feed chickens mostly . What do you propose we grow as break crops, and why should I be dictated to grow food if it doesn’t pay the rent

 

[ollie989898]

France prohibits the use of food crops in biomass quite rightly

France is nuclear powered and they don't need AD plants. The remainder of Europe has thousands of disgesters.

 

[Little squeak]

AD crops have been very profitable here for a number of years . Maize, Rye, Beet .
The rest is feed wheat and feed barley that goes to feed chickens mostly . What do you propose we grow as break crops, and why should I be dictated to grow food if it doesn’t pay the rent

do you think they actually produce as much energy as they consume? (genuine question) I thought the only reason AD crops are grown is because they are so subsidied and a percentage has to be added to fossil fuels in a merry go round of what I would call insanity

 

[glasshouse]

AD crops have been very profitable here for a number of years . Maize, Rye, Beet .
The rest is feed wheat and feed barley that goes to feed chickens mostly . What do you propose we grow as break crops, and why should I be dictated to grow food if it doesn’t pay the rent

You will have to do as govt directs

 

[wanton dwarf]

France prohibits the use of food crops in biomass quite rightly

Given that most food waste - via human bottoms - gets dumped in the Sea, I don't agree at all.

AD is recycling in action, pure and simple. It also processes waste that would otherwise be dumped. The waste from the AD is fertiliser which can be used to grow more food or Biomass. It's a fantastic resource IMHO.

Shame the "Government" don't have their head shoved firmly up their backsides - Government Policy is cretinous.

 

[Tarw Coch]

You will have to do as govt directs

Will govt be able to force him to produce at a loss?

 

[wanton dwarf]

You will have to do as govt directs

If the government directs then they'll have to put money behind it. From what I've seen of Westminster the complete opposite is happening.

Westminster more likely to buy food off the Chinese rather than invest in the UK.

 

[Courier]

If the government directs then they'll have to put money behind it. From what I've seen of Westminster the complete opposite is happening.

Westminster more likely to buy food off the Chinese rather than invest in the UK.

Except the Chinese have their own to feed which is why they are buying Agricultural land anywhere worldwide which will sell it to them....

 

[DRC]

You will have to do as govt directs

Can’t see that happening can you