Bioenergy aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contribute to meeting global climate change mitigation targets. Nevertheless, several sustainability concerns are associated with bioenergy, especially related to the impacts of using land for dedicated energy crop production. Cultivating energy crops can result in synergies or trade-offs between GHG emission reductions and other sustainability effects depending on context-specific conditions. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework, the main synergies and trade-offs associated with land use for dedicated energy crop production were identified. Furthermore, the context-specific conditions (i.e., biomass feedstock, previous land use, climate, soil type and agricultural management) which affect those synergies and trade-offs were also identified. The most recent literature was reviewed and a pairwise comparison between GHG emission reduction (SDG 13) and other SDGs was carried out. A total of 427 observations were classified as either synergy (170), trade-off (176), or no effect (81). Most synergies with environmentally-related SDGs, such as water quality and biodiversity conservation, were observed when perennial crops were produced on arable land, pasture or marginal land in the ‘cool temperate moist’ climate zone and ‘high activity clay’ soils. Most trade-offs were related to food security and water availability. Previous land use and feedstock type are more impactful in determining synergies and trade-offs than climatic zone and soil type. This study highlights the importance of considering context-specific conditions in evaluating synergies and trade-offs and their relevance for developing appropriate policies and practices to meet worldwide demand for bioenergy in a sustainable manner.

The traceability of products has become an ever more important topic in global value chains because governments, producers and consumers wish to have in-depth information on the origin, quality, safety and sustainability of the products they regulate, trade or buy. However, traceability systems come with criticisms and challenges. This article describes how timber traceability is being realized in Ghana in the context of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Ghana and the EU, which is part of the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) initiative. Building on practice theory, this article conceptualizes traceability systems as ensembles of procedures, interpretations and activities. Empirically, it presents an analysis of the Ghanaian Legality Assurance System (LAS) and Wood Tracking System (WTS). Results show that the LAS/WTS moved from a 'digitalized regulatory track-and-trace system' on the design table towards a more hybrid one in practice, integrating elements of a communication governance mode and of a mass-balance model too, and keeping alive a parallel paper-based infrastructure. While particularly governmental officials are satisfied with the LAS/WTS, it is also important to recognize that stakeholders interpret aspects of the system quite differently, and deal with implementation issues on the ground quite differently, implying that 'legality-on-paper' and 'legality-in-practice' are not necessarily the same.