Bioenergy and nutrition represent two key elements in maintaining health and well-being. Bioenergy is a form of renewable energy produced from organic materials, which can be used for generating power, while nutrition, on the other hand, is related to the ability of food to provide the proper nutrients to living beings and the factors that make up a healthy diet. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda has brought considerable attention to the importance of food security and nutrition, particularly under SDG2, while concurrently highlighting the need to ensure affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy access for all under SDG7. The accomplishment of these two Goals is crucial for almost all others, as they are closely interconnected with many cross-cutting elements and commonly framed in the Water Energy Food Nexus. In this context, modern bioenergy has the potential to aid in the accomplishment of the SDGs, when value chains and conversion processes are designed and managed in an appropriate and sustainable manner. Nevertheless, the positive relationship between bioenergy and nutrition is an overlooked nexus, whose analysis has been too often limited to the competition for resources, such as land, water, energy, and other inputs. Considering this, the present review was developed for both the nutrition and bioenergy communities to begin to overcome the limits of the food versus fuel paradigm, by analyzing this intricate nexus and bringing to light interlinkages and potential synergies existing between bioenergy and nutrition. So far, such linkages appear indirect or implied, therefore further research in this area would be beneficial. The strongest links between bioenergy and nutrition identified include: greater cooking efficiency, reduced indoor air pollution, and improved environmental sanitation through bioenergy clean cooking solutions; energy access for transporting, storing, and cooking food, thus reducing food loss and waste and diversifying diets; improved soil fertility through Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), phytoremediation, and integrated biomass production systems; and better rural livelihoods and increased income by introducing bioenergy production and use as a circular economy practice. The major significance of this review is the identification of examples of good practices applied along the different stages of the bioenergy value chain with potential co-benefits for nutrition. In this way, this work aims to provide preliminary findings for researchers to better determine the ways in which bioenergy can be deployed to improve global nutrition.This article is categorized under:Sustainable Energy > BioenergySustainable Development > GoalsSustainable Development > Energy-Water-Food Nexus

The production of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) such as poplars and willows is a promising component of global bioenergy and phytotechnology portfolios. In addition to the provision of biomass feedstocks and pollution remediation, these trees and shrubs have been sustainably grown to conserve or utilize water in a variety of applications. Growing these woody plants for multiple uses supports many of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG6) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7). As a result, focusing on ecosystem services such as freshwater and biomass has become an important aspect of deploying these production systems across variable landscapes. The current review consists of an introduction of ecosystem services and the SDGs, as well as SRWCs and their applications. The middle section of the review contains case studies highlighting the positive water linkages of producing short rotation poplars and willows for bioenergy and phytotechnologies. The review concludes with a section that combines the common themes that are consistent among the case studies to address options for integrating new bioenergy feedstock production systems into rural and urban landscapes to promote environmental, social and economic sustainability. This article is categorized under: Bioenergy > Economics and Policy Bioenergy > Climate and Environment