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On Mondays, higher-ed beat writer Luke Taylor will go one-on-one with a faculty member at the University of Illinois. Today: MADHU KHANNA, professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics and Director of the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment.
What is a "circular bioeconomy" and why are you and fellow scientists pushing for the concept?
We have a "take-make-waste" economic system in which we use environmental resources, make products and generate waste that is disposed off in the environment.
Waste generated in the process of production and consumption of goods is often a result of inefficiency in how we use our resources and a major source of environmental degradation in addition to being an economic cost.
A circular bioeconomy is one in which we reduce the amount of waste that is generated at every step of the production process, and then the waste that is generated is recycled and recovered and reused and finally any unusable waste is converted to bio-based products, energy and chemicals that displace fossil fuel.
In the case of agriculture for example, there is a lot of inefficiency in the way that inputs such as fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation water etc are utilized, with over half of the applied inputs not being taken up by the plant.
These wasted inputs lost from the field in the form of run-off that pollute water body and cause emissions that contribute to global warming.
After a crop is produced, almost half of the biomass is left on the field as residue, of the half that is used for feed/food, there are further losses along the supply chain before it reaches the consumer and then there is food loss and waste.
If we can reduce this waste and reuse waste to produce bio-based products, plant based proteins etc we can improve economic value, improve food security and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
A circular bioeconomy provides an operational path to environmental sustainability but we need to ensure that it is both economically and socially sustainable by using appropriate policies and regulations
How do you think more people can be convinced to move toward that and other methods of increasing sustainability?
Increasing education and public awareness of the environmental harm caused by our disposable culture can help. Lowering the cost of environmental friendly technologies can induce adoption.
technologies. We also need policies that price waste generation and create monetary incentives to reduce waste and lead to a circular bioeconomy.
You've recently participated in research about "corporate social responsibility" focused on developing countries. Do you believe this concept is proving successful to avoid environmental harm in "developed" countries such as the U.S.?
Corporate social responsibility can be effective in reducing environmental harm many efforts at corporate environmental management have been shown to reduce toxic releases, induce adoption of pollution preventing technologies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and so on.
However, these positive impacts are more likely to occur when there is transparent public reporting of environmental performance, pressure from consumers, investors and regulators and support from within the corporate leadership to improve environmental performance.
What are some major ways digital technology has impacted farms and farmers, especially like those around central Illinois?
Digital technologies are enabling precision farming and applying inputs like fertilizers and seeds at varying rates in a field in response to variations in soil and other conditions in the field, conducting yield mapping to determine spatial variability in yield impacts.
They are also enabling the use of auto-steered equipment which is increasing precision in farm operations and reducing labor fatigue.
Speaking of central IL farmers: you've studied the effect of a changing climate on corn and soybeans. Is this something farmers should be concerned about going forward and what can they do to prepare?
Yes, we find a significant negative impact of extreme temperatures and precipitation on corn and soybean yields in the US. Heavy precipitation in the Spring often delays planting.
Adoption of regenerative agricultural practices such as cover crops and no till can improve soil health, moisture holding capacity and increase crop productivity.