Biomass in the UK economy
Under current production and consumption conditions the United
Kingdom cannot produce sufficient biomass to meet the national
demand for food, timber products or bioenergy. Analysis of the flow
of biomass through the UK economy indicates that one third of the
biomass material utilised by the UK is imported.
The UK economy has shown long term growth since 1990 with a
corresponding increase in imports. UK economic growth is dependent
on imported raw materials and the environmental impact of continued
economic growth is likely to be felt overseas. The high volume of
biomass imports for food, construction and bioenergy use makes it
clear that we are drawing on significant amounts of primary
production from overseas ecosystems. Forecasts for the future use
of biomass for food, biofuels and the production of heat and power
suggest this dependence will continue to increase.
Import profiling provides an insight into the key dependencies
of the UK economy on overseas biomass production. It also forms the
basis for quantifying and qualifying the pressures that are being
exerted by the UK economy on overseas ecosystems through our
biomass consumption, in particular through the use of overseas
land.
UK domestic biomass production and imports 1970 -
2008
Data from Office for National Statistics
JNCC’s ongoing work on the source, nature and impacts of the
UK’s use of imported biomass has reached some basic
conclusions:
- food chain materials (for human or animal consumption)
represent 60% of biomass imports. European Union partners supply
60% of UK biomass imports. A significant proportion (approximately
27%) are sourced from tropical and sub-tropical countries;
- approximately 14 million hectares of overseas land was required
to produce the 52 million tonnes of biomass imported in 2008. This
complements the 20 million hectares of domestic land producing
biomass. Approximately 90% of the overseas land use
requirement arises from provision of agricultural products for food
and from forest products. The remaining 10% is from bioenergy
crops;
- material flow analysis allows the pressure exerted by UK
biomass consumption on overseas ecosystems to be estimated in terms
of land use. These pressures are currently being felt primarily in
the boreal forest and temperate forest biomes of Europe and the
temperate grasslands and tropical moist forests of South
America;
- the UK, as a significant importer of biomass will continue to
contribute to global pressures on these biomes through population
and economic growth, and changing patterns of biomass consumption.
Material flow analysis offers an opportunity to monitor these
pressures and provides the evidence for the formulation of policies
to avoid or mitigate potential impacts on the overseas ecosystems
which provide the UK with essential biomass.
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