Water Quality Researcher One of Group Calling for Science-Based Policy for Sustainable Biofuels

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A University of Arkansas researcher and his colleagues are urging national policymakers to use a science-based approach when making decisions about biofuels.

Andrew Sharpley, a professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences, and 22 colleagues from universities and institutions across the United States and abroad have published their views in the Policy Forum section of the Oct. 3 issue of the journal Science.

“We hope that sharing scientific information about biofuel production with decision makers will provide them with a clearer picture of how their decisions will affect the environment and sustainability of biofuels in the long term,” said Sharpley.

Sharpley studies the agricultural management of water quality and watershed issues in agricultural settings. He has developed predictive models of water quality measures based on converting pasture and diverse croplands to corn, which currently is a popular grain-based source of ethanol. More than a quarter of U.S. corn production currently goes to create grain-based ethanol.

He and his colleagues gathered at an Ecological Society of America meeting this spring, and developed the Science article based on their discussions and on the diverse work of all of the researchers – agricultural economists, biologists, ecologists and soil scientists.

The researchers’ concerns stem from policies that have been established in recent times, including this year’s Farm Bill, which contained substantial subsidies for the production of cellulosic ethanol from crops such as switchgrass, as well as mandates for ethanol production over the next decade. Both of these policies create an economic incentive for farmers to increase their production of biofuel crops, but do not address sustainable and environmental issues that could be either detrimental or beneficial to the industry in the long term, Sharpley said.

“To get maximal yield, they may apply maximum amounts of fertilizer, which can exacerbate a nutrient loss problem. The crop may not be grown on lands that are most suited to it. These policies may encourage a shift away from rotating crops to a monoculture. There is a potential for increased use of water,” Sharpley said. “All of this could impact the quality and quantity of water in the long run.” It also could affect other factors, including the long-term viability of the crops themselves, he said.

The researchers call for systematic studies of ways to optimize energy from these crops while also focusing on the implications for landscapes, watersheds and the planet. They suggest creating a “patchwork” of land uses with a mixture of crops, grasses, shrubs and forest. This landscape diversity would foster soil and water quality, as well as wildlife diversity, Sharpley said.

They also call for environmental performance standards for cellulosic ethanol production, which would help promote sustainable outcomes while growing these fuels.

“We wanted to offer a broader view from experts in their areas,” he said. “We hope to add to a discussion that will continue to contribute to sustainable solutions for the long term and are economically beneficial to the farming community.”

Sharpley is a professor in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and a researcher in the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture.