Methodologies for the identification and certification of low ILUC risk biofuels
Several modelling studies have highlighted the risk that biofuel production on agricultural land can displace existing food and animal feed production. This could indirectly lead to the conversion of forests and other natural land into new cropland to compensate for the displaced production. This indirect land use change effect is heavily debated in the EU and led policy makers to introduce limitations to the use of conventional, land based biofuels. Yet, it is possible for agricultural companies to avoid indirect land use change by preventing the displacement of current agricultural production for food and feed markets. Companies can do so by making sure that the biofuel crop production is additional to the business as usual production for food and feed. Ecofys developed a methodology to identify and certify such production types, focusing on cultivation on abandoned or unused land and increased crop yields.