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Where does all the biofuel go? Fuel efficiency gains and its effects on global agricultural production

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  • Dumortier, Jerome
  • Carriquiry, Miguel
  • Elobeid, Amani

Abstract

Increasing biofuel production over the last decade and biofuel policies in Brazil, the European Union, and the United States have changed the global agricultural landscape in terms of land-use, commodity prices, and trade. Increasing fuel efficiency and electrification of the vehicle stock is projected to lower gasoline, diesel, and biofuel demand in the future. In this analysis, we quantify the effects of a 30% reduction in ethanol consumption in the U.S. and the European Union triggered by higher vehicle fleet fuel efficiency on global agricultural markets. Our results show decreases in global commodity prices by 1.9%–6.6% and a slight decrease in global cropland by 0.3%. Major changes occur in trade patterns with U.S. corn exports increasing by 30.3%. Global greenhouse gas emissions are lower due to the overall reduction in cropland. Gasoline and diesel consumption of the vehicle fleet is not changing rapidly but is a long-term process because vehicles are on average in operation for 10 or more years. Consequently, there are important long-term policy implications from changes in fuel efficiency requirements or ethanol blending limits that affect commodity prices, trade, and greenhouse gas emissions.

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  • Dumortier, Jerome & Carriquiry, Miguel & Elobeid, Amani, 2021. "Where does all the biofuel go? Fuel efficiency gains and its effects on global agricultural production," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:148:y:2021:i:pa:s0301421520306200
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111909
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    1. Jerome Dumortier & Miguel Carriquiry & Amani Elobeid, 2021. "Impact of climate change on global agricultural markets under different shared socioeconomic pathways," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(6), pages 963-984, November.
    2. Liya Hau & Huiming Zhu & Muhammad Shahbaz & Ke Huang, 2023. "Quantile Dependence between Crude Oil and China’s Biofuel Feedstock Commodity Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Abrhám, Josef & Vošta, Milan & Čajka, Peter & Rubáček, Filip, 2021. "The specifics of selected agricultural commodities in international trade," Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal, vol. 7(2), June.
    4. Dumortier, Jerome & Elobeid, Amani & Carriquiry, Miguel, 2022. "Light-duty vehicle fleet electrification in the United States and its effects on global agricultural markets," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    5. Gao, Yixuan & Malone, Trey & Schaefer, K. Aleks & Myers, Robert J., 2023. "Disentangling Short-Run COVID-19 Price Impact Pathways in the US Corn Market," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 48(2), May.
    6. Dumortier, Jerome & Elobeid, Amani, 2021. "Effects of a carbon tax in the United States on agricultural markets and carbon emissions from land-use change," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    7. Xi He & Miguel Carriquiry & Amani Elobeid & Dermot Hayes & Minghao Li & Wendong Zhang, 2022. "China's corn and biofuel policies and agricultural trade: Projections from an international agricultural commodity market model," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(4), pages 970-989, October.

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