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
