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Retreat from Salix - Swedish experience with energy crops in the 1990s

Helby, Peter LU ; Rosenqvist, H and Roos, A (2006) In Biomass & Bioenergy 30(5). p.422-427
Abstract
A wave of Salix (willow) planting rolled over Sweden in the early 1990s, driven by subsidies and optimistic market expectations. The expected economic life span of such investments is 20 years or more. But in fact, many plantations were terminated or reduced much sooner. This article explores the reasons for this retreat. In a survey to Salix farmers, 41 per cent either have retreated or regretted starting at all. The reasons given are mostly agronomic, rather than economic. In particular, many farmers had planted on low-quality lands, ignoring best-practice advice. Policies in support of energy crops have been volatile and badly designed, in the sense of giving incentives to such reckless plantings, rather than promoting good farm... (More)
A wave of Salix (willow) planting rolled over Sweden in the early 1990s, driven by subsidies and optimistic market expectations. The expected economic life span of such investments is 20 years or more. But in fact, many plantations were terminated or reduced much sooner. This article explores the reasons for this retreat. In a survey to Salix farmers, 41 per cent either have retreated or regretted starting at all. The reasons given are mostly agronomic, rather than economic. In particular, many farmers had planted on low-quality lands, ignoring best-practice advice. Policies in support of energy crops have been volatile and badly designed, in the sense of giving incentives to such reckless plantings, rather than promoting good farm management. Prices for wood chips have also been disappointing, but few farmers cite this as a key reason for termination or regrets. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
willow, bioenergy, energy policy, subsidies, CAP, set-aside, Sweden, farm management, survey, economics, Salix, decision making, energy crops
in
Biomass & Bioenergy
volume
30
issue
5
pages
422 - 427
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000237177600004
  • scopus:33645984270
ISSN
1873-2909
DOI
10.1016/j.biombioe.2005.12.002
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
20147739-fddf-4e9c-bc8e-15c422ef890a (old id 410554)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:33:09
date last changed
2022-04-05 23:54:41
@article{20147739-fddf-4e9c-bc8e-15c422ef890a,
  abstract     = {{A wave of Salix (willow) planting rolled over Sweden in the early 1990s, driven by subsidies and optimistic market expectations. The expected economic life span of such investments is 20 years or more. But in fact, many plantations were terminated or reduced much sooner. This article explores the reasons for this retreat. In a survey to Salix farmers, 41 per cent either have retreated or regretted starting at all. The reasons given are mostly agronomic, rather than economic. In particular, many farmers had planted on low-quality lands, ignoring best-practice advice. Policies in support of energy crops have been volatile and badly designed, in the sense of giving incentives to such reckless plantings, rather than promoting good farm management. Prices for wood chips have also been disappointing, but few farmers cite this as a key reason for termination or regrets. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Helby, Peter and Rosenqvist, H and Roos, A}},
  issn         = {{1873-2909}},
  keywords     = {{willow; bioenergy; energy policy; subsidies; CAP; set-aside; Sweden; farm management; survey; economics; Salix; decision making; energy crops}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{422--427}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Biomass & Bioenergy}},
  title        = {{Retreat from Salix - Swedish experience with energy crops in the 1990s}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2005.12.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.biombioe.2005.12.002}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}