5.4.4 Industrial crops and biofuels

Industrial crops include oilseeds, gums and resins, sweeteners, beverages, fibres, and medicinal and aromatic plants. There is practically no literature on the impact of climate change on gums and resins, and medicinal and aromatic plants. Limited new knowledge of climate change impacts on other industrial crops and biofuels has been developed since the TAR. Van Duivenbooden et al. (2002) used statistical models to estimate that rainfall reduction associated with climate change could reduce groundnut production in Niger, a large groundnut producing and exporting country, by 11-25%. Varaprasad et al. (2003) also concluded that groundnut yields would decrease under future warmer climates, particularly in regions where present temperatures are near or above optimum despite increased CO₂.

Impacts of climate change and elevated CO₂ on perennial industrial crops will be greater than on annual crops, as both damages (temperature stresses, pest outbreaks, increased damage from climate extremes) and benefits (extension of latitudinal optimal growing ranges) may accumulate with time (Rajagopal et al., 2002). For example, the cyclones that struck several states of India in 1952, 1955, 1996 and 1998 destroyed so many coconut palms that it will take years before production can be restored to pre-cyclone levels (Dash et al., 2002).

The TAR established large increases in cotton yields due to increases in ambient CO₂ concentration. Reddy et al. (2002), however, demonstrated that such increases in cotton yields were eliminated when changes in temperature and precipitation were also included in the simulations. Future climate change scenarios for the Mississippi Delta estimate a 9% mean loss in fibre yield. Literature still does not exist on the probable impacts of climate change on other fibre crops such as jute and kenaf.

Biofuel crops, increasingly an important source of energy, are being assessed for their critical role in adaptation to climatic change and mitigation of carbon emissions (discussed in IPCC, 2007c). Impacts of climate change on typical liquid biofuel crops such as maize and sorghum, and wood (solid biofuel) are discussed earlier in this chapter. Recent studies indicate that global warming may increase the yield potential of sugar beet, another important biofuel crop, in parts of Europe where drought is not a constraint (Jones et al., 2003; Richter et al., 2006). The annual variability of yields could, however, increase. Studies with other biofuel crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a perennial warm season C₄ crop, have shown yield increases with climate change similar to those of grain crops (Brown et al., 2000). Although there is no information on the impact of climate change on non-food, tropical biofuel crops such as Jatropha and Pongamia, it is likely that their response will be similar to other regional crops.