In the Netherlands, biomass is expected to play an increasingly significant role in view of the greening of electricity production and transport fuels pushed by implementation of an EU Biofuels Directive. Studies indicate that the Netherlands and many other western countries do not have enough potential to be self-sufficient and meet their own bioenergy targets. Consequently, a rapidly growing amount of biomass imports is expected to take place. Massive imports can have large positive and/or negative impacts on producing countries, both from an environmental as well as from a socio-economic point of view. In this respect it is important that the input from stakeholders in producing countries is brought into the debate in the Netherlands. How do they feel about the rising popularity of their resources?

For the purpose of this project, research into three specific product/country combinations has been carried out. The combinations chosen are sugar cane (Brazil), palm oil (Indonesia) and maize (South Africa). A key element of this project is that the assessment of the sustainability issues related to these flows has been undertaken by stakeholders in the producing countries themselves.

Part of this project has run parallel to the development of criteria for sustainable biomass production by the Cramer Commission. In order to explicitly serve as input for the final composition of such criteria, the report reflects a comparison between results derived from this project and the criteria proposed by the Commission.

Dutch import of biomass, Producing countries point of view on the sustainability of biomass exports, CREM Report, Amsterdam, November 2006 (pdf-format pp 99)

Case study sugar cane ethanol from Brazil, Sustainability of ethanol from Brazil in the context of demanded biofuels imports by The Netherlands, by Délcio Rodrigues and Lúcia Ortiz, Núcleo Amigos da Terra (NAT) & Vitae Civilis Institute, 2006 (pdf-format pp 49).

Report Research Indonesian Path Toward Sustainable Energy: A case study of developing palm oil as biomass in Indonesia, Research team: The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation - KEHATI, Sawit Watch, Social Economic Research Institute - INRISE, Bogor Agricultural Institute, Media Indonesia Group/Daily Research & Development, Submitted by KEHATI in collaboration with Both ENDS, 2006 (pdf-format pp 44).

Biomass Study: Maize from South Africa; Prepared as input to the study of Dutch imports of Biomass, by Gwynne Foster, Final report 15 November 2006 (including annexes)(pdf-format pp 89).

The project "Dutch import of biomass - Producing countries point of view on the sustainability of biomass exports", was funded by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) and undertaken by three Dutch NGOs, i.e. Both ENDS, Stichting Natuur en Milieu and COS Nederland, in co-operation with consultancy firm CREM B.V. and the following counterparts in biomass producing countries: Núcleo Amigos da Terra (NAT) and Vitae Civilis Institute [Brazil]; The Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation KEHATI, in co-operation with Sawit Watch, Social Economic Institute (INRISE), Bogor Agricultural Institute and Media Indonesia Group-Daily Research and Development [Indonesia] and Ms. Gwynne Foster [South Africa].