IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v153y2021ics0301421521001270.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On-farm anaerobic digestion: A disaggregated analysis of the policy challenges for greater uptake

Author

Listed:
  • Abdo, Hafez
  • Ackrill, Rob

Abstract

In recent years, the multifunctionality of farming activities and diversification of on-farm income sources have increasingly included renewable energy generation. The uptake of on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD), however, continues to lag behind other renewable energy activities. Moreover, on-farm AD is not only a source of renewable energy, but also a means of farm waste management and thus a means of enhancing environmental quality. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the policy barriers that might explain this limited uptake, and identify key directions for future AD policy design. We draw on a mixed-methods research design, with data collected by questionnaires, interviews and a round-table workshop of stakeholders. We analyse our data using a framework that disaggregates ‘policy’ into meta, meso and micro levels of Policy Means and Policy Ends. We conclude that future policy must recognise the synergies between on-farm AD as a source of renewable energy and as a means of waste management, reflected in instrument mix and instrument calibration. Calibration-stability is also found to be of critical importance. We also offer new insights and understanding around the application of our chosen policy framework, notably how it can analyse policies that are nested within large, complex policy systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdo, Hafez & Ackrill, Rob, 2021. "On-farm anaerobic digestion: A disaggregated analysis of the policy challenges for greater uptake," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:153:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521001270
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112258
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521001270
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112258?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Martin Tidy & Xiaojun Wang & Mark Hall, 2015. "Prospects for on-farm anaerobic digestion as a renewable energy technology in the UK: learning from early adopters," International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 7(3), pages 256-277.
    2. Hahn, Robert W & Stavins, Robert N, 1992. "Economic Incentives for Environmental Protection: Integrating Theory and Practice," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(2), pages 464-468, May.
    3. Tranter, R.B. & Swinbank, A. & Jones, P.J. & Banks, C.J. & Salter, A.M., 2011. "Assessing the potential for the uptake of on-farm anaerobic digestion for energy production in England," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 2424-2430, May.
    4. Benjamin Blumenstein & Torsten Siegmeier & Carsten Bruckhaus & Victor Anspach & Detlev Möller, 2015. "Integrated Bioenergy and Food Production—A German Survey on Structure and Developments of Anaerobic Digestion in Organic Farming Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-24, August.
    5. Benjamin Cashore & Michael Howlett, 2007. "Punctuating Which Equilibrium? Understanding Thermostatic Policy Dynamics in Pacific Northwest Forestry," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 51(3), pages 532-551, July.
    6. Idoya Ferrero Ferrero & Robert Ackrill, 2016. "Europeanization and the Soft Law Process of EU Corporate Governance: How has the 2003 Action Plan Impacted on National Corporate Governance Codes?," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(4), pages 878-895, July.
    7. Lijó, Lucía & González-García, Sara & Bacenetti, Jacopo & Moreira, Maria Teresa, 2017. "The environmental effect of substituting energy crops for food waste as feedstock for biogas production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 1130-1143.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lim, Teng & Massey, Ray & McCann, Laura & Canter, Timothy & Omura, Seabrook & Willett, Cammy & Roach, Alice & Key, Nigel & Dodson, Laura, 2023. "Increasing the Value of Manure for Farmers," USDA Miscellaneous 333552, United States Department of Agriculture.
    2. Roshni Paul & Alla Silkina & Lynsey Melville & Sri Suhartini & Michael Sulu, 2023. "Optimisation of Ultrasound Pretreatment of Microalgal Biomass for Effective Biogas Production through Anaerobic Digestion Process," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shirzad, Mohammad & Kazemi Shariat Panahi, Hamed & Dashti, Behrouz B. & Rajaeifar, Mohammad Ali & Aghbashlo, Mortaza & Tabatabaei, Meisam, 2019. "A comprehensive review on electricity generation and GHG emission reduction potentials through anaerobic digestion of agricultural and livestock/slaughterhouse wastes in Iran," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 571-594.
    2. B Kelsey Jack, "undated". "Market Inefficiencies and the Adoption of Agricultural Technologies in Developing Countries," CID Working Papers 50, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    3. Stavins, Robert, 2001. "Lessons From the American Experiment With Market-Based Environmental Policies," RFF Working Paper Series dp-01-53, Resources for the Future.
    4. Wiser, R. H., 2000. "The role of public policy in emerging green power markets: an analysis of marketer preferences," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 177-212, June.
    5. Fleck, Ann-Katrin & Anatolitis, Vasilios, 2023. "Achieving the objectives of renewable energy policy – Insights from renewable energy auction design in Europe," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Robert N. Stavins, 1998. "What Can We Learn from the Grand Policy Experiment? Lessons from SO2 Allowance Trading," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 69-88, Summer.
    7. Jean Tirole, 2008. "Some Economics of Global Warming," Rivista di Politica Economica, SIPI Spa, vol. 98(6), pages 9-42, November-.
    8. Soha, Tamás & Papp, Luca & Csontos, Csaba & Munkácsy, Béla, 2021. "The importance of high crop residue demand on biogas plant site selection, scaling and feedstock allocation – A regional scale concept in a Hungarian study area," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    9. Timo Busch & Michael L. Barnett & Roger Leonard Burritt & Benjamin W. Cashore & R. Edward Freeman & Irene Henriques & Bryan W. Husted & Rajat Panwar & Jonatan Pinkse & Stefan Schaltegger & Jeff York, 2024. "Moving beyond “the” business case: How to make corporate sustainability work," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 776-787, February.
    10. Kuhn, L. & Hou, L. & Chen, X. & Huang, J., 2018. "Agricultural machinery for cleaner air An analysis of the effectiveness of three policy measures for reducing residue burning in Northern China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277374, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. B Hansjürgens, 1998. "The Sulfur Dioxide Allowance-Trading Program in the USA: Recent Developments and Lessons to be Learned," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 16(3), pages 341-361, June.
    12. Cassandra Moseley & Susan Charnley, 2014. "Understanding micro-processes of institutionalization: stewardship contracting and national forest management," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 47(1), pages 69-98, March.
    13. Costantini, Michele & Provolo, Giorgio & Bacenetti, Jacopo, 2024. "The effects of incorporating renewable energy into the environmental footprint of beef production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    14. Adriana Gama, 2020. "Standards and social welfare in Cournot oligopolies," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 22(3), pages 467-483, July.
    15. Mohammadrezaei, Rashed & Zareei, Samira & Behroozi- Khazaei, Nasser, 2018. "Optimum mixing rate in biogas reactors: Energy balance calculations and computational fluid dynamics simulation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 54-60.
    16. Papineau, Maya, 2017. "Setting the standard? A framework for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of building energy standards," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 63-76.
    17. Antony Millner & Hélène Ollivier, 2016. "Beliefs, Politics, and Environmental Policy," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 10(2), pages 226-244.
    18. Valentina Bosetti & Elena Verdolini, 2013. "Clean and Dirty International Technology Diffusion," Working Papers 2013.43, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    19. Vaughan, William J. & Ardila, Sergio, 1993. "Economic Analysis of the Environmental Aspects of Investment Projects," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6300, Inter-American Development Bank.
    20. Christopher Weible & David Carter, 2015. "The composition of policy change: comparing Colorado’s 1977 and 2006 smoking bans," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 48(2), pages 207-231, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:153:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521001270. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.