Bioenergy and the poor: bioenergy and agriculture promises and challenges

"This brief delineates two broad categories for bioenergy development — the exploitation of existing agricultural wastes and the establishment of energy plantations—and suggests high-priority steps for developing bioenergy in ways that benefit the poor... Once developing countries have optimized the use of existing agricultural wastes for energy generation and put in place adequate revenue-sharing, regulatory, and policy frameworks, they can consider the option of dedicated energy plantations, while carefully balancing any associated trade-offs between food security and energy generation. Fortunately, the technical, regulatory, and policy expertise needed to promote an equitable agricultural waste energy industry also provides, in many cases, the skills needed to develop and nurture a sustainable dedicated energy plantation sector that does not adversely affect the poor or decrease food security." from Text