Bioenergy, food security and poverty reduction: trade-offs and synergies along the water–energy–food security nexus

Abstract

This article provides a review of trade-offs and synergies of bioenergy within the water–energy–food security nexus, with emphasis on developing countries. It explores the links of bioenergy with food security, poverty reduction, environmental sustainability, health, and gender equity. It concludes that applying the nexus perspective to analyses of bioenergy widens the scope for achieving multiple-win outcomes along the above aspects.

Keywords:

• bioenergy
• poverty reduction
• food security
• gender
• water-energy-food

Additional information

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge financial support of this research by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The current article builds on the ZEF working paper 135. The authors are thankful for numerous colleagues at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn, and anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on the earlier versions of the article.