Abstract
Rachel Smolker argues that the future of agriculture will be determined by how we respond to the decreased availability of cheap energy. She suggests that if we simply substitute plant biomass energy in place of fossil fuel energy, we are doomed. Instead, we need to reduce our consumption of energy by dramatically restructuring our lifestyles and relocalizing the production and consumption of food and biomass.
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Notes
See, for example: The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development Report, and note the UN FAO Summit on Food and Bioenergy, held in Rome, 3–6 June 2008.
From National Renewable Energy Laboratory ‘bioproducts’ webpage http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_bioproducts.html.
From testimony before the US Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry by David K. Garman, at the time the Assistant Secretary of EERE and Acting Under Secretary to Energy, Science and Environment.
Vision for bioenergy and biobased products in the US: Bioeconomy for a sustainable future. 2006 Biomass Research and Development Initiative, DOE.
Corporate consolidation.
Canadian Plastics 7 April 2007 Ontario BioAuto Council Bioplastics 101 workshop overview. http://www.canplastics.com/issues/PrinterFriendly.asp?story_id=&id=82551&RType=&PC=&issue=04072008.
June 2008 Plant Genetic Engineering for Biofuel Production: Towards Affordable Cellulosic Ethanol. Nature Review Genetics (on Spartan Corn).
See, for example: The Gallagher Review of the Indirect Effects of Biofuels Production. Renewable Fuels Agency. UK 2008.
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Indicates that the future of agriculture will be determined by how we respond to the decreased availability of cheap energy
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Smolker, R. The New Bioeconomy and the Future of Agriculture. Development 51, 519–526 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2008.67
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/dev.2008.67