title: The impact of first-generation biofuels on the depletion of the global phosphorus reserve.
abstract: The large majority of biofuels to date is "first-generation" biofuel made from agricultural commodities. All first-generation biofuel production systems require phosphorus (P) fertilization. P is an essential plant nutrient, yet global reserves are finite. We argue that committing scarce P to biofuel production involves a trade-off between climate change mitigation and future food production. We examine biofuel production from seven types of feedstock, and find that biofuels at present consume around 2% of the global inorganic P fertilizer production. For all examined biofuels, with the possible exception of sugarcane, the contribution to P depletion exceeds the contribution to mitigating climate change. The relative benefits of biofuels can be increased through enhanced recycling of P, but high increases in P efficiency are required to balance climate change mitigation and P depletion impacts. We conclude that, with the current production systems, the production of first-generation biofuels compromises food production in the future.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. lars.hein@wur.nl
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hein
authors.forename: Rik
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leemans
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels / Q000032:analysis*; D057231:Climate Change; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004777:Environment; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000737:chemistry*; D063245:Plant Development
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D010758:Phosphorus