Summarizes the current state of knowledge of the drivers of land-use change and describes the analytic methods used to estimate the impact of biofuel feedstock production on land use. The larger the impact of domestic biofuels feedstock production on commodity prices and the availability of exports, the larger the international land-use effects are likely to be. The amount of pressure placed on land internationally will depend in part on how much of the land needed for biofuel production is met through an expansion of agricultural land in the U.S. If crop yield per acre increases through more intensive management or new crop varieties, then less land is needed to grow a particular amount of that crop. Illustrations. This is a print on demand report.

A large expansion in ethanol production, along with research and innovation to develop second-generation biofuels, is underway in the U.S., spurred by volatile oil prices and energy policies. This increased focus on ethanol and other biofuels is an important element of U.S. economic, energy, environmental, and national security policies. This report will inform research recommendations to address the constraints surrounding availability of biomass feedstocks. To meet this goal, an economic assessment, which links to an analysis of the consequences for greenhouse gas emissions and sustainability, has been developed that encompasses feedstock production from agriculture and forestry sources. Illustrations.

The Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 established specific targets for the production of biofuel in the U.S. Meeting these targets will increase demand for traditional ag. commodities used to produce ethanol, resulting in land-use, production, and price changes in the farm sector. This report summarizes the estimated effects of meeting the EISA targets for 2015 on regional ag. production and the environment. Meeting EISA targets for ethanol production will expand U.S. cropped acreage by 5 million acres by 2015, an increase of 1.6% over what would otherwise be expected. Much of the growth comes from corn acreage, which increases by 3.5% over baseline projections. Water quality and soil carbon will also be affected.

This report was produced by the Working Group on biofuels of the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Managemet. It provides an overview of the key problems and perspectives toward sustainable production and use of biofuels. It is based on an extensive literature study, taking into account recent major reviews. The focus is on so-called first generation biofuels while considering further lines of development. In the overall context of enhancing resource productivity, options for more efficient and sustainable production and use of biomass are examined. In particular, "modern biomass use" for energetic purposes, such as biomass used for (co-)generation of heat and power and liquid biofuels for transport, are addressed and related to the use of biomass for food and material purposes. Whereas improving the efficiency of biomass production plays a certain role towards enhancing sustainability, progress will ultimately depend on a more efficient use of biotic (and abiotic) resources (incl. for instance an increased fuel economy of car fleets), although a full consideration of all relevant strategies towards this end (e.g changing diets high in animal based foods and reducing food losses) is beyond the scope of this report.