As Britain continues to evaluate its approach to biomass, German farmers are becoming ever-more optimistic about its prospects.
Gerd Sonnleitner, president of the German Farmers’ Association, believes in the future of biomass as a source of energy. He has confidence in the drive of German farmers and warns of the risks of over-regulation through German and European legislation.
“Our farmers have already proven that they are very flexible and know how to take advantage of the political framework exceptionally well,” he said. “Just think of the numerous bio-gas facilities on the farms or the many photovoltaic units on the roofs of our barns.”
Sonnleitner, who was speaking in an interview with the customer magazine ‘Fendt Focus’, also demanded that the political promises promoting biomass as an energy source must be kept, unlike in the recent taxation of biomass fuels.
At the same time he warned of excessive euphoria, arguing that the global potential of biomass should not be overestimated. In fact, additional farmland will be required in the future to meet the growing food demand of the world population and will therefore not be available for the cultivation of energy crops.
“If, for example, as a result of increasing prosperity, all the people in India and China would adopt our diet, the global reserves of farmland will be required for the production of food,” Sonnleitner said.
The association’s president also termed the allegation that the use of biomass is ethically objectionable because more and more people are dying of starvation as ‘pure nonsense’.
