RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF CURRENT AND FUTURE MAIZE PRODUCTION

Descriptions

Government policy aims to achieve at least 15% of energy from renewable sources by 2020, including energy from waste. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a proven technology that can convert food waste into energy and its development is being supported by a range of incentives. Defra has encouraged the development of farm AD units to improve the use of farmyard manures and slurries, however the low output from these sources means that they are co-digested with purpose grown feedstock such as maize. The Defra June 2014 land use survey indicates that 29kha of maize was grown for bioenergy in England (0.6% of total crop area), an estimated doubling of the area since 2013. The area of maize is likely to expand, possibly by as much as tenfold, as more AD units become operational, leading to concerns over the potential environmental impacts including soil and water quality and biodiversity, as well as impacts on local rents and food production.