Leaked EU draft texts confirm expectations that the 27-member bloc is likely to seek to 'green' farm subsidy payments after 2013 by adding new rules on protecting the environment. Controversially, though, the drafts also reveal new plans to allow some countries to re-allocate more direct payments to the production of particular crops - reversing prior attempts to 'decouple' farm support from production and thus reduce the trade distortions that this support might cause.

Generating energy from crops instead of oil and coal can have counterproductive effects. “The use of biomass can lead to additional emissions of greenhouse gases”, says lead author Alexander Popp of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). “This is the case if forests get cut down to plant energy crops instead.” Forests are important CO2 sinks. At the same time, biomass is expected to play an important role in  future energy systems.

http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/3/034017/fulltext

Proponents of biomass-based fuels push for sustainability against a steady tide of conflicting analysis, but can advanced biofuels cut the mustard?

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/pdf/474S02a.pdf

The most controversial aspect of biofuels is the perceived competition for farmland. Will advances in biofuels and agriculture send this trade-off speeding towards the history books?

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/full/474S06a.html

Shifting from corn to perennial crops in making biofuels is essential to save clean water, argues Jeremy Martin.

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v474/n7352_supp/full/474S017a.html

A central challenge for sustainability is how to preserve forest ecosystems and the services that they provide us while enhancing food production. This challenge for developing countries confronts the force of economic globalization, which seeks cropland that is shrinking in availability and triggers deforestation.

The Author in her article has given a round up of inter-relationships between Environment, Climate Change and Growth vis-a-vis development. Sustainable development issues, including the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN for the developing countries have been highlighted.