Energy crop expansion can increase land demand and generate displacement of food crops, which impacts greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mainly through land-use change (LUC). Increased agricultural productivity could compensate for this. Our study aims to evaluate the regional combined GHG emissions of increasing agricultural yields for food crop and beef production and using the generated surplus land for biomass production to replace fossil fuels in the Orinoquia region of Colombia until 2030. The results show that surplus land for biomass production is obtained only when strong measures are applied to increase agricultural productivity. In the medium and high scenario, a land surplus of 0.6 and 2.4 Mha, respectively, could be generated. Such intensification results in up to 83% emission reduction in Orinoquia’s agricultural sector, largely coming from increasing productivity of cattle production and improving degraded pastures. Biofuel potential from the surplus land is projected at 36 to 368 PJ per year, with a low risk of causing indirect LUC, and results in GHG emission reductions of more than 100% compared to its fossil fuel equivalent. An integrated perspective of the agricultural land use enables sustainable production of both food and bioenergy.

The global energy transition is pushing the development of advanced biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the aviation industry. This study thoroughly evaluates the potential of the Colombian crude palm oil (CPO) sector to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production. Extensive primary data from 53 palm oil mills and 269 palm plantations were examined. The methodology included a carbon footprint analysis of SAF produced from Colombian CPO through the HEFA pathway, an economic aspects analysis, a review of renewable fuel standards, and an assessment of market access for low-CO₂-emitting feedstocks. The results show that the carbon footprint of the Colombian palm oil-SAF is 16.11 g CO₂eq MJ⁻¹ SAF, which is significantly lower than the 89.2 g CO₂eq MJ⁻¹ reference value for traditional jet fuel. This figure considers current direct Land Use-Change (DLUC) emissions and existing methane capture practices within the Colombian palm oil agro-industry. A sensitivity analysis indicated that this SAF’s carbon footprint could decrease to negative values of −4.58 g CO₂eq MJ⁻¹ if all surveyed palm oil mills implement methane capture. Conversely, excluding DLUC emissions from the assessment raised the values to 47.46 g CO₂eq MJ⁻¹, highlighting Colombia’s favorable DLUC profile as a major factor in its low overall CPO carbon footprint. These findings also emphasize that methane capture is a key low-carbon practice for reducing the environmental impact of sustainable fuel production, as outlined by the CORSIA methodology. Based on the economic analysis, investing in Colombian CPO-based SAF production is a financially sound decision. However, the project’s profitability is highly susceptible to the volatility of SAF sales prices and raw material costs, underscoring the need for meticulous risk management. Overall, these results demonstrate the strong potential of Colombian palm oil for producing sustainable aviation fuels that comply with CORSIA requirements.

El presente estudio hace una estimación de la huella de carbono del APC para Colombia con datos del año 2021 recolectados en plantaciones de palma y plantas de beneficio del país. Estos datos corresponden al 85 % de la producción de APC y el 36 % de la producción de racimos de fruta fresca. Los resultados muestran una huella de carbono de 182 kg CO2eq t-1 APC producido y también indican que el tratamiento del POME (generación de CH4), el uso y aplicación de fertilizantes químicos y el cambio del uso del suelo (CUS directo) son los principales factores que contribuyen a la generación de emisiones de GEI en el sector palmicultor colombiano. Las emisiones asociadas al CUS por la siembra de palma de aceite corresponden al análisis por zona palmera de la transformación del paisaje con base en imágenes de satélite del periodo de referencia 2007-2020.

A futuro, la oferta sostenible de alimentos, energía, tierra, y recursos será uno de los mayores retos de la humanidad. El cambio climático afecta al ambiente, impacta negativamente la producción agrícola y aumenta el riesgo de la extinción humana. A esto se agrega el actual modelo de producción, en general ineficiente en el uso del suelo y en la producción en toneladas por hectárea. De continuar este modelo de producción, se aumentarán las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera, intensificando los efectos del cambio climático. Tanto los alimentos como la energía deben ser producidos con cero emisiones, mediante la descarbonización del sector agrícola y la aplicación de un modelo de economía baja en carbono. Este artículo hace una compilación de literatura sobre el concepto de economía baja en carbono y analiza su aplicación en la Orinoquia colombiana resaltando la oportunidad de producir bioenergía con bajas emisiones de GEI. La mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático de la Orinoquia es clave para el desarrollo de una economía baja en carbono en la producción agrícola y el uso de la tierra.

Sustainable intensification of perennial oil palm production systems requires balancing energy efficiency, economic profitability, greenhouse gas emission, and labour requirements. This study evaluated three mechanization scenarios (manual, semi-mechanized with standard capacity equipment’s and semi-mechanized with high-capacity equipment’s) across five yield levels (15–35 t FFB ha ⁻¹ yr ⁻¹ ; FFB = Fresh Fruit Bunches), based on data from 26 plantations in the Colombian Orinoquia Natural Region. Methodologies included energy analysis, economic evaluation, life cycle assessment of Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), and labour demand quantification. Results demonstrate that yield intensification constitutes the primary driver of systemic efficiency, with energy ratios improving from 2.10 to 2.42 and emissions decreasing from 84.8 to 66.3 kg CO ₂ t ^⁻1 FFB. Semi - mechanized systems contribute directly to intensification by enabling precise input applications and timely execution of agronomic practices, particularly in fertilization and harvesting. Semi-mechanized systes with high capacity equipment’s reduces labour demand by 26–46% compared to manual systems and facilitates scalable operations. It also emerges as the most profitable scenario, with economic viability achieved from 15 t FFB ha ^⁻1 yr ^⁻1 .

La implementación de este proceso en la industria del aceite de palma podría enfrentar ciertas complicaciones derivadas de la variabilidad en las propiedades físicas y químicas de la biomasa, lo cual dificultaría la obtención de un proceso estandarizado para su tratamiento. Además, desafíos como el contenido de humedad, la generación de alquitranes y el nivel de madurez tecnológica (TRL) de la gasificación podrían presentar obstáculos técnicos y económicos; no obstante, en este sector existe la ventaja de contar con una abundante disponibilidad de biomasa concentrada en un solo lugar.