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BACKGROUND

This workshop brings together SIF and other Brazilian partners with FAO Wood Energy Program and two IEA Bioenergy Tasks, Task 30 'Short Rotation Crops for Bioenergy Systems' and Task 31 'Conventional Forestry Systems for Sustainable Production of Bioenergy'.

The objective of Task 30 is to meet the needs of bioenergy industries through technical improvement of biomass crop production technologies, through documenting and disseminating information on the potential environmental benefits of biomass crop production systems, and through developing information to enhance market development in collaboration with the private sector. The overall aim of the Task is to further develop short rotation biomass production systems, improve the awareness of the bioenergy production potential, and promote the use of biomass for energy in participating countries.

The objective of Task 31 is to synthesize and transfer to stakeholders, important knowledge and new technical information concerning conventional forestry systems for sustainable production of bioenergy. The technical focus is on three distinct aspects of biomass production: the management of forest stands and plantations; the recovery of biomass for energy through forest operations; and questions of environmental, economic and social sustainability of biofuel production. The Task encompasses natural forestry systems and single-stem plantation systems that can provide a source of biomass for energy.

Founded in 1974, the Society for Forest Research (SIF) is a non-profit organization, a combined enterprise and university institution, aiming at the development of the Brazilian forest sector. This joint research effort comprises several forest companies under the leadership of the Department of Forestry of the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV) in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The goal of SIF is to promote high quality technological development using the resources of UFV, of the forest companies and other organizations to the benefit of society.