**Author details**

neglected the demands of smallholder farmers, who in the end did not benefit from the activities surrounding bioenergy but rather suffered the effects of land grabbing. Another much criticized effect of modern bioenergy development was the concentration on a few major crops only, such as maize or oil palm. Therefore we suggest that bio-economy strategies should

**a.** *Ex-ante* assessment of the potential impacts of biomass production and supply systems In section 5 of this chapter, various instruments were suggested for assessing the ecological and social impacts of biomass production systems which can be applied to *ex-ante* analysis and

Acceptance of new technologies or crops and varieties is the pre-requisite for their implemen‐ tation. Therefore their development should involve stakeholders, in particular smallholder farmers. Their involvement would not only improve the chances of implementation but also

**c.** Using genetic resources for developing new bio-economy crops or improved varieties

As discussed in this contribution there are many untapped genetic resources, most of them close to important agricultural centres. Demand for new crops and improved varieties for a bio-economy requires specific biomass properties on the one side, but also ecological require‐ ments, such as nutrient- and water-use efficiency and stress resistance on the other. Therefore, in particular multi-purpose crops that integrate different land-use functions and biomass-use options appear most interesting for a future bio-economy. An example for such a multipurpose crop was discussed in this contribution using the example of the macaw palm. This palm can grow under conditions of abiotic stresses, such as drought, and also contributes through its perennial character to soil carbon sequestration and erosion prevention. Its products are manifold allowing the integration of food, feed, fibre, and fuel production.

The increasing demand for biomass leads to increasing pressure on land which can result in land-use changes, such as conversion from grassland to crop land. Recent findings from marginal grasslands show that increasing pressure on them can negatively influence ecosys‐ tem functioning, potentially compromising long-term production potentials. On the other hand, grassland communities in Europe suffer from mismanagement or under-management. In Europe many grasslands are no longer harvested due to the decreasing demand for roughage fodder. However, the maintenance of different grassland species requires cutting, but in regimes that are adapted to the ecological needs of grassland species. Therefore, biomass production concepts need to be developed that integrate production and ecological functions. Understanding the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of land-use changes on communities and ecosystems can help to better assess and balance such inherent trade-offs among multiple

There is need to prove such findings for other tropical environments such as rainforests on which a strong pressure lasts due to global interest on crops such as soybean and African oil

ensure sustainable development of the biomass resource by:

138 Agroecology

**b.** Involving stakeholders and smallholder farmers

the planning of sustainable biomass production and supply systems.

incorporate local or indigenous knowledge into developments.

**d.** Development of sustainable biomass production concepts

ecosystem functions [76].

Thomas Hilger1\*, Iris Lewandowski2 , Bastian Winkler2 , Barbara Ramsperger3 , Paulo Kageyama4 and Carlos Colombo5

\*Address all correspondence to: thomas.hilger@uni-hohenheim.de

1 Institute of Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

2 Institute of Crop Science, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

3 Center for Agriculture in the Tropics and Subtropics, Hohenheim University, Stuttgart, Germany

4 Department of Forest Sciences, ESALQ, University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil

5 Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
