In 2006, French biofuel production occupied nearly 800,000 hectares, amounting to around 2.8% of agricultural land and supplying 1.8% of the country’s total fuel supply. By 2020, each Member State of the European Union is required to source at least 10% of its national fuel consumption from renewable sources. One of the main goals of this requirement is to contribute to greenhouse gas reductions in the transport sector, all while conserving natural resources. Against this backdrop, diverse environmental issues are involved in the planning and development of these industries. Protecting water resources is a main concern for the French, especially when it comes to formulating agricultural strategy for any given territory.
The goal of the present study is thus to propose a prospective assessment of the potential water impacts of different biofuel production scenarios in France through the year 2030. These scenarios, with their contrasting situations regarding agriculture, technology, and environmental priority, put forth a vision of possible futures in biofuel development. Their evaluation at the level of the Adour-Garonne and Seine-Normandy Basins has made it possible to produce comparative results, based on indicators quantified at this scale.
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