EFCT: Environmental Footprint Comparison Tool.  A tool for understanding environmental decisions related to the forest products industry.  Non-Wood Fiber. headerlink
Effects of non-wood fiber use on greenhouse gas emissions

Notwithstanding a presumed higher yield of dedicated agricultural fiber per unit of land under cultivation, the growth and harvesting of agricultural fiber comes at a cost of greater emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) than is likely to be associated with wood fiber. The underlying factors include emissions associated with manufacture and use of fertilizers, and the relative intensity of land use for fiber production.

The advantage that the cultivation and harvesting of wood fiber has relative to agrifiber is lost where mechanical pulping is employed. That outcome is attributable to greater yields and the relative ease of pulping that accompany agrifiber. In contrast, wood fiber�s cultivation advantage is reinforced with chemical pulping. In that situation, agrifiber�s yield advantage is diminished and wood fiber has a dominant advantage in its reliance upon carbon neutral wood-derived fuels.

Follow links to the right for more information. Also, see the Greenhouse Gases section of this tool.


More information:

Wood vs. agrifiber products

Irrigation & fertilization

Wood fiber procurement

Agrifiber procurement

Agri residue vs. crops