Unsustainable biomass use in the EU and call for regenerative action (JRC report)

“The EU’s current production of biomass is not sustainable, because ecosystem condition continues to decline”, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre's (JRC) latest report. The report urges an urgent shift toward regenerative practices and improved governance to align biomass use with environmental and social priorities.

While biomass remains central to EU policy objectives (supplying energy, materials, and food) the report finds that its extraction has significant ecological consequences. “Biomass is primarily sourced from ecosystems and the reporting of ecosystem condition helps put into perspective that biomass is limited and the provision of it relies on the ability of the ecosystem to continue to produce it”. In agriculture, production has risen, with cereals such as wheat and maize dominating the sector.

The report estimates that 76% of the total annual agricultural biomass production in the European Union is used for food and feed, mostly for animal-based products. However, only 24% of agroecosystems are in good condition, 53% are in moderately good…