Journal of Fundamentals of Renewable Energy and Applications
Open Access
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2090-4541
+44 1300 500008
Annie FA Chimphango
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Fundam Renewable Energy App
Sustainable bioenergy systems have a major role to play in unlocking populations from the vicious and often inter-linked cycles of energy and food poverty that are manifested in many parts of Africa. Its lack of real development has increased the vulnerability of farmers to rising and increasingly volatile energy input costs to agriculture and in getting surplus harvested crops safely stored and transported on to markets. Consequently, smallholder farmers are faced with a â??double penaltyâ? due to increasing fossil fuel costs throughout the agricultural value chain. Bioenergy systems if integrated with food production systems can enhance food production by providing alternative markets and improving efficiencies in the value chain, as well as helping to phase out dependence on fossil fuels. This paper discusses the integration of bioenergy directly into food systems to help ensure both energy and food securities for the poor. Bioenergy and food systems can be integrated through innovative food value chain management. Agricultural residues (agro-residues) currently receive low economic returns and experience disposal problems. The food production and processing is often not configured to supply agro-residues for production of bioenergy needed in food processing. The feasibility of utilising agroresidues through advances in postharvest technology for sustainable bioenergy conversion was reviewed. Agro-residues from maize, sugarcane and potatoes in five African countries were assessed from secondary data to identify suitable conversion technologies, energy products and configurations of bioenergy plants for applications in postharvest food processing. Strategic alignment of postharvest technology to bioenergy production systems is vital to advancing both food production and bioenergy that benefit rural communities in Africa. High economic returns are possible when the bioenergy plants are either annexure to existing agro-processing operations or operate as a biorefinery. However, Agro-residues for bioenergy production require investments in infrastructure for storage, transportation and processing of the residues, and development of new risk management techniques.
Email: achimpha@sun.ac.za