While the global debate ranges on whether biofuel revolution is causing imbalances in food security systems and increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases, the smart biofuel crops developed, utilised and promoted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is claimed to ensure energy and environmental security.
According to William Dar, director general of ICRISAT, time has come to ensure that only smart biofuel crops are developed and utilised so that they can link the poor farmers of the drylands to the biofuel market, without compromising on their food security, or causing environmental damage.
“Smart biofuel crops are those that ensure food security, contribute to energy security, provide environmental sustainability, tolerate the impacts of climate change on shortage of water and high temperatures, and increase livelihood options,” he said.
Through its BioPower Strategy, ICRISAT is developing and promoting sweet sorghum as a major feedstock for bioethanol. Sweet sorghum is a carbon-dioxide neutral crop, which is a big contributory factor of being called a smart crop.
In fact, ICRISAT-bred sweet sorghum varieties and hybrids have increased sugar content in the juice in their stalks. ICRISAT’s rainy season varieties give 42% higher sugar yield, and rainy season hybrids give a 20% increased sugar yield.
Sweet sorghum has a strong pro-poor advantage since it has a triple product potential – grain, juice for ethanol, and bagasse (crushed stalk waste) for livestock feed and power generation.