Overview

This book performs a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis to examine the current food crisis and how it relates to the use of crops for energy. It analyses how energy crops may help solve humankind’s environmental changes and summarises the economic and practical changes of cultivating and utilising energy crops. Two of humanity’s greatest challenges are the need for more food production as well as growing demands for energy. Biofuel cultivation has been identified as a solution to growing energy use, and biomass power plants offer a rare renewable energy source that requires only basic technology. In this context, a dilemma arises concerning whether energy crops should be used for energy or to help remedy the food crisis. SWOT analysis allows us to organise and weigh different pros and cons against each other in terms of economics, job creation, environmental impacts, the climate change agenda, and European Union (EU) directives that promote biofuels over fossil fuels. By pursuing this approach, the book helps researchers and decision-makers cut through the many competing arguments in connection with this complex subject.

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9783319639420

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Mrs Annoula Paschalidou graduated from the School of Geotechnical Sciences, Department of Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1979–1984). She studied Landscape Architecture at the School of Agricultural Technology, Kavala Institute of Technology (2006–2011) and holds a Master’s degree (M.Sc.) in Environmental Design of Cities and Buildings, School of Science and Technology from the Hellenic Open University, Greece (2009–2013). Since 2013 she has been a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace. She worked as a high school teacher for twenty years (1991–2011) and today she is the Chief of Educational Issues at the Secondary Education Directorate of Drama (Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religions). Amongst other things, she is a founding member and a vice president of the Scientific and Cultural Αssociation “eκπ@ιδευτικός κύκλος”. She has also headed the editorial committee of the free scientific and educational magazine “Educational Circle” since its foundation (2013). Dr. Michael Tsatiris is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. His specialization is in biomass and bioenergy. He received his Diploma and Master of Science degrees from the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM, Paris) and his Doctorate from the Department of Forestry and Natural Environment of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Dr. Kyriaki Kitikidou serves as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece. She has many years of research and teaching experience in Forest Biometry. Her major research areas are Forest Biometry and Biostatistics. Over the years, she has applied varied approaches to teaching and conducting research with undergraduate and postgraduate students through creating and presenting course materials in both open-field environments and classroom settings. At the same time, she has authored many publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

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