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Land is the planet’s limiting resource. We need land for food, biofuel, feed, ecosystem services, and more. But all land is not equal. Concerns about diverting land under food/feed crops to biofuel feedstocks have led to interest in using marginal land to produce these dedicated bioenergy crops for advanced biofuels. Marginal land has typically been defined as land that is of low quality and not in food crop production. Since energy crops can grow productively on low-quality land, there’s great interest in the potential of energy crops on marginal land to avoid conflict with food production. 

A recent study led by Chongya Jiang, a University of Illinois Research Scientist at the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), shows that researchers may be overestimating the amount of land that is available for bioenergy crops if they simply look at land that is low quality and low productivity. Results from this study by CABBI, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Research Center, were published in Environmental Science & Technology.

(From ACES.illinois.edu)

URBANA, Ill. ­– Most scientists agree climate change has a profound impact on U.S. agricultural production. But estimates vary widely, making it hard to develop mitigation strategies. Two agricultural economists at the University of Illinois take a closer look at how choice of statistical methodology influences climate study results. They also propose a more accurate and place-specific approach to data analysis.

"Do meal kits reduce food waste? USDA explores potential amid rise in plant-based convenience foods"

(Published on Food Ingredients First on July 29, 2021) - Meal kits have become more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many consumers turning to ready-to-assemble meals and subscription services for food that provides preparation convenience. But do meal kits help reduce food waste?

Brenna Ellison, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, recently shared her insights on the sustainability credentials of meal kits.

“Meal kits are designed to provide households with precise quantities of ingredients to make a specific meal.

They may be wiggly, but kids eat more fruit and vegetables when they sit longer at lunch time. Most kids do not choose fruits and vegetables first, but research from the University of Illinois finds that they are more likely to pick those foods the longer they sit - after they eat their favorites, of course.

Melissa Pflugh-Prescott (U of I assistant professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition) discusses the implications in a news article on Science Daily. See the 5-minute read on here.

Co-authors include Xanna Burg, Jessica Metcalfe, and Brenna Ellison. 

Image by Pencil Parker via Pixabay.

Madhu Khanna was selected to serve on a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that will conduct the study Current Methods for Life Cycle Analyses of Low-Carbon Transportation Fuels in the United States.

The committee will assess current methods for estimating lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels (liquid and non-liquid) for potential use in a national low-carbon fuels program

For more information about this study, please visit Current Methods for Life Cycle Analyses of Low Carbon Transportation Fuels in the United States | National Academies.