This briefing paper by RELU was published in 2009. Concerns over climate change and future fuel security have resulted in the development of renewable energies as a substitute for fossil fuels.
Willow grown as short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus are biomass crops with potential for renewable energy production in the UK. Policies are encouraging farmers to grow more of these crops to help reduce CO2 emissions. This would constitute a significant land-use change. SRC willow and miscanthus are perennial, taller (3-5m), deep-rooting and may attract different wildlife from conventional crops. This briefing highlights the key findings from a RELU project which aimed to identify the impacts of increasing land-use under both crops and to develop tools for assessing the potential effects of different expansion scenarios.
The study asks the following questions:
- Why is the government encouraging farmers to grow perennial biomass crops?
- What effect do they have on water resources?
- What effect do SRC willow and miscanthus have on farmland biodiversity?
- How will they affect the rural economy?
- What is the public's attitude towards these crops?
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