Resource information
The production potential for bio-energy sources of the EU agriculture is quantified. In doing so, set-aside land and rededication of land for other purposes are considered. Furthermore, the simplifying hypothetical assumption is made that on the one hand in the case of subsidized surplus production beyond food self-sufficiency could be used as technical potential for the production of energy plants and on the other hand in deficit situations for typical agricultural products in the EU as e.g. grain crops, rape seed, sunflowers the production of food would have priority. On the base of these assumptions the changes in the food consumption as well as increasing yield and efficiency in agricultural production are balanced. The estimates of the potential result for Germany in 2020 at up to 7 mill. hectares agricultural land and for the EU-27 depending on the policy scenario adopted between 19 and 51 mill. hectares.
