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Author Kuppens, T.; Van Dael, M.; Vanreppelen, K.; Carleer, R.; Yperman, J.; Schreurs, S.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Techno-economic assessment of pyrolysis char production and application : a review Type P1 Proceeding
  Year 2014 Publication (up) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 67-72  
  Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology  
  Abstract Many organic residue streams such as pig manure are not or inefficiently used, although they can be converted into valuable materials, as well as energy, using pyrolysis. The yield of the pyrolysis products (i.e. oil, gas and char) is dependent on the process conditions and the feedstock used. Char as a soil amendment or activated carbon are interesting options for valorization of biomass residues. Here, a review is presented of the techno-economic potential of both valorization options based on literature and own experiments with wood from phytoremediation, particle board and waste from beer production. The term “biochar” is specifically used to designate pyrolysis char that is intentionally applied to soil in order to enhance its structure and fertility. Biochar applications are often also motivated by the objective of climate change mitigation. Two main disadvantages for the economic feasibility of biochar applications have been discerned. Firstly, carbon sequestration in agricultural crops and soils is not yet eligible under the Clean Development Mechanism. Secondly, the impact of biochar on crop productivity is unclear. Activated carbon (AC) seems to have interesting adsorption characteristics resulting in potentially high sales prices. A preliminary techno-economic assessment showed that AC production is preferred above oil production for wood from phytoremediation as long as the market price of 2 kEUR.t(-1) for commercially available ACs can be attained. Whenever a feedstock with high nitrogen content is available (e.g. particle board with melamine urea formaldehyde resin), even higher market prices might be attained. This study shows that valorization of the pyrolysis char might be an answer to the slow adoption of pyrolysis in commercial applications. Focus in research and development, for instance in future research with regard to pig manure valorization, should therefore be on sustainable products with high economic value and direct utilization potential.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000346540000012 Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title International Conference on BioMass (iconBM 2014), 4-7 May 2014, Florence, Italy / Ranzi, Eliseo [edit.]; et al.  
  Series Volume 37 Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 978-88-95608-28-0 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127547 Serial 6265  
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Author Kuppens, T.; Van Dael, M.; Maggen, J.; Vanreppelen, K.; Yperman, J.; Carleer, R.; Elen, H.; Van Passel, S. openurl 
  Title Techno-economic assessment of different conversion pathways for pyrolysis char from pig manure Type P1 Proceeding
  Year 2014 Publication (up) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 901-911  
  Keywords P1 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology  
  Abstract The amount of animal manure that can be brought back to agricultural land is limited by legislation. Because pig manure is available in too large quantities in some areas, we investigate the techno-economic feasibility of converting it into valuable products. First, slurry is separated in water, a thick fraction and a fertilizer concentrate poor in phosphate. Then, the thick fraction is dried and pyrolyzed. Our goal is to identify the optimal pyrolysis and activation conditions for the production of biochar or activated carbon. The latter has interesting adsorption characteristics due to the presence of nitrogen. It can also be used as a soil amendment as it improves biomass quantity and quality. On top, it immobilizes toxic elements and stores carbon in the soil. Char thus has many interesting characteristics and can be valued in different ways. The economic feasibility has been explored by a first techno-economic modelling iteration. The critical factors influencing the feasibility are identified by Monte Carlo simulations for further improvement of the process design.  
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  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title 22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition : Setting the Course for a Biobased Economy, 23-26 June 2014, Hamburg, Germany : conference proceedings  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127546 Serial 6263  
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Author Einhäupl, P.; Krook, J.; Svensson, N.; Van Acker, K.; Van Passel, S. url  isbn
openurl 
  Title Enhanced landfill mining at the REMO site : assessing stakeholders' perspectives for implementation Type P3 Proceeding
  Year 2018 Publication (up) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords P3 Proceeding; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
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  Language Wos Publication Date  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining, February 5-6, 2018, Mechelen, Belgium / Jones, Peter Tom [edit.]; Machiels, Lieven [edit.]  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-90-828259-0-9 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:161512 Serial 6194  
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Author Saviuc, I.; Van Passel, S.; Peremans, H. doi  isbn
openurl 
  Title Integrating PV+battery residential microgrids in distribution networks : how is the point of common coupling agreed upon? Type H1 Book chapter
  Year 2020 Publication (up) Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 150-164  
  Keywords H1 Book chapter; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The anticipated development of decentralized electricity generation is expected to strengthen the opportunities of prosumers in the residential areas of cities, in line with the predicted establishment of renewable energy generation and storage. Based on academic research and on successful case studies, the opportunity for residential prosumers to organize in microgrids emerges as a viable and promising solution. This paper focuses on microgrids that are planned to generate electricity with a PV unit and use a shared storage system, and that opt to have a connection with the main grid. However, the point of common coupling needs to be agreed first between the microgrid operator and the network operator, and this agreement is determined by several factors and conditions beyond the basic technical and regulatory requirements. A survey of academic literature on the determinant factors for such an agreement exposes the fact that current research either focuses on the integration of individual prosumers in the main grid, or regards the point of common coupling as a given component of microgrids. We argue that neither of the two approaches is helpful in the case of microgrids vs. main grid, seeing as the agreement is not self-evident under just any circumstances, nor can the microgrid be equated to a single, large prosumer. Therefore this short paper compiles a set of determinant factors for the microgrid integration, as they emerge from academic literature, with the aim to document further research needs and support the discussion on microgrid integration.  
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  Language Wos Publication Date 2020-04-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title Sustainable Energy for Smart Cities : First EAI International Conference, SESC 2019, Braga, Portugal, December 4–6, 2019: proceedings  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN ISBN 978-3-030-45693-1 Additional Links UA library record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:168515 Serial 6932  
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Author Gezahegn, T.W.; Van Passel, S.; Berhanu, T.; D'haese, M.; Maertens, M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Do bottom-up and independent agricultural cooperatives really perform better? Insights from a technical efficiency analysis in Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication (up) Agrekon Abbreviated Journal Agrekon  
  Volume Issue Pages  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The cooperative landscape in Ethiopia is very heterogeneous with a mixture of remains of the pre-1991 government-controlled system and new post-1991 bottom-up collective action initiatives. This heterogeneity, coupled with a large growth in the number of cooperatives in the country, offers an interesting perspective to study the determinants of the (in)efficiency of cooperatives. In this paper, we analyse the performance of Ethiopian agricultural cooperatives, focusing on the degree of technical (in)efficiency and its determinants. We use the stochastic frontier approach in which we account for heteroskedasticity and the monotonicity of production functions, presenting a methodological improvement with respect to previous technical efficiency studies. The results show that NGO- and government-initiated cooperatives are less efficient than community-initiated ones, implying that governments and NGOs should not interfere too strongly in cooperative formation. Cooperatives with a high degree of heterogeneity in members' participation are found to be about 98% less efficient, while cooperatives that have paid employees are 33% more efficient. Besides, results show that cooperatives in Ethiopia function more efficiently if they incentivize committee members through monetary compensation.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
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  Language Wos 000487651200001 Publication Date 2019-09-24  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0303-1853 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.3 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors acknowledge funding from the VLIR-UOS TEAM Program (VLIR-UOS-ZEIN2015PR406 (13V95615T), Belgium. ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.3; 2020 IF: 0.224  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163772 Serial 6184  
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Author Gezahegn, T.W.; Van Passel, S.; Berhanu, T.; D'Haese, M.; Maertens, M. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Big is efficient : evidence from agricultural cooperatives in Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication (up) Agricultural Economics Abbreviated Journal Agr Econ-Blackwell  
  Volume 50 Issue 50 Pages 555-566  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract In Ethiopia, there is a renewed interest in agricultural cooperatives as an institutional tool to improve the welfare of smallholder farmers. One of the pathways through which cooperatives benefit their members is scale economies. However, the establishment of cooperatives in Ethiopia seems to pay little attention to the size of the organizations. This article aims at investigating the effect of size on cost efficiency of agricultural cooperatives. More specifically, the purpose is to examine whether a single cooperative can serve a given number of farmers at a lower cost than two or more smaller cooperatives could. We employ the concept of cost subadditivity to compare the cost efficiency of large versus small cooperatives, and by extension unilateral actions. We estimate a flexible production technology using cross-sectional cooperative-level data. Findings show that costs would drop by 78% to 181% if farmers join hands in relatively large rather than small cooperatives.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000480797700001 Publication Date 2019-08-01  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0169-5150 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 1.758 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; VLIR-UOS-ZEIN2015PR406 (13V95615T) PROGRAMME(TEAM), Belgium ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.758  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:161812 Serial 6161  
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Author Merante, P.; Van Passel, S.; Pacini, C. doi  openurl
  Title Using agro-environmental models to design a sustainable benchmark for the sustainable value method Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 136 Issue Pages 1-13  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Farms contribute heavily to overall sustainability. To date, various frameworks, approaches, methods and indicators have been developed to appraise how much corporations (firms, farms) contribute to sustainability. Among these, the Sustainable Value (SV) method helps to determine by which economic entity resources should be used in order to achieve the highest contributions to sustainability, by comparing company's efficiency of capital use against the efficiency of a benchmark. In this work we argue that the SV benchmark does not include certain crucial environmental concepts, such as the carrying capacity of an ecosystem or the multiple vital functions provided by ecosystem services. Thus, it is not a suitable reference for companies to evaluate their contribution to sustainability. As an alternative benchmark to standard SV applications, we propose a farm whose resource use productivity is correlated to the fulfilment of pre-determined environmental constraints: the Environmentally Sustainable Farm (ESF). To design this farm, we created an agro-environmental farm modelling framework that includes: (i) methods and approaches to assess indicators concerning specific environmental issues; (ii) an integrated ecological-economic model based on linear programming. This farm modelling framework is employed to determine both the environmental performance and the economic returns of two farming systems, conventional (CFS) and organic (OFS), which are compared using the Sustainable Value approach. Despite the fact that the OFS environmentally outperforms the CFS, none of them reaches the sustainable performances achieved by the ESF, both performing a negative Sustainable Value. The environmental constraints forced the ESF towards management choices that, although decreasing the economic performance, increase its environmental sustainability behaviour. Hence, the ESF is a viable benchmark that can be used to evaluate llllfarms' environmental sustainability. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000354503000001 Publication Date 2015-02-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 6 Open Access  
  Notes ; We wish to thank all participants to the SVAPPAS project for their inspiring contributions and challenging debates. Furthermore, we are grateful to the financial support from the 6th Framework Programme of the EU (project code: SSPECT – 2006 – DG AGRI). The authors thank the technicians Giovanna Casella and Roberto Vivoli (University of Florence) for their technical contribution. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2015 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127536 Serial 6275  
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Author Meul, M.; Van Middelaar, C.E.; de Boer, I.J.M.; Van Passel, S.; Fremaut, D.; Haesaert, G. doi  openurl
  Title Potential of life cycle assessment to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 131 Issue Pages 105-115  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract In this paper, we evaluate the potential of life cycle assessment (LCA) to support environmental decision making at commercial dairy farms. To achieve this, we follow a four-step method that allows converting environmental assessment results using LCA into case-specific advice for farmers. This is illustrated in a case-study involving 20 specialized Flemish dairy farms. Calculated LCA indicators are normalized into scores between 0 and 100, whereby a score of 100 is assumed optimal, to allow for a mutual comparison of indicators for different environmental impact categories. Next, major farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance are identified using multiple regression and correlation analyses. Finally, comparing specific farm and management characteristics with those of best performing farms identifies farm-specific optimization strategies. We conclude that this approach complies with most of the identified critical success factors for the successful implementation of LCA as a decision support system for farmers. Key aspects herein are (i) the flexibility and accessibility of the model, (ii) the use of readily available farm data, (iii) farm advisors being intended model users, (iv) the identification of key farm and management characteristics affecting environmental performance and (v) the organization of discussion sessions involving farmers and farm advisors. However, attention should be paid (i) to provide sufficient training and guidance for farm advisors on the use of the applied LCA model and the interpretation of results, (ii) to evaluate the correctness of the used data and (iii) to keep the model up-to-date according to new scientific insights and knowledge concerning LCA methodology. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000343955300011 Publication Date 2014-09-15  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 25 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2014 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127540 Serial 6238  
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Author Moretti, M.; De Boni, A.; Roma, R.; Fracchiolla, M.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Integrated assessment of agro-ecological systems : the case study of the “Alta Murgia” National park in Italy Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 144 Issue Pages 144-155  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Several indicators and methods are already applied for sustainability assessment in agriculture. The links between sustainability indicators, agricultural management and policies are not well explained. The aim of this study is to combine biophysical and monetary sustainability assessment tools to support agriculture policy decision-making. Three methodological steps are considered: i) the environmental impacts of farms are assessed using terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, soil and freshwater ecotoxicity as well as natural land transformation; ii) the most relevant indicators of agriculture damages on ecosystems quality are aggregated into an index; iii) the farms' index scores are integrated with farm assets, land and labor, into the Sustainable Value approach (SVA), as indicator of natural resources used by farms. As a case study, the methodology was applied to arable farms with and without animal husbandry of the “Alta Murgia” National Park. The crop farms, in our sample, have a higher sustainable value using their economic and environmental resources. Mixed farms need to improve their resources use efficiency. Although crop farms have lower land-use efficiency compared to mixed farms, our results suggest supporting, by means of policy options, the specialized crop farms that, on average, perform better in terms of ecosystems quality preservation. Finally, we find that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to soundly measure the environmental impacts clearly enriches the SVA. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000373553100014 Publication Date 2016-02-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 6 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. The authors want to thank the “Alta Murgia” Park Authority for the support in this study and all farmers that collaborated with the authors providing data. Moreover, the authors want to thank Dr. Sylvestre Njakou Djomo for the useful discussion and suggestion to build the LCA model. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:133254 Serial 6218  
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Author Pacini, G.C.; Merante, P.; Lazzerini, G.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Increasing the cost-effectiveness of EU agri-environment policy measures through evaluation of farm and field-level environmental and economic performance Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2015 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 136 Issue Pages 70-78  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract A lot of attention in the debate on the 2014-2020 programming period of the EU CAP and rural development policy revolves around the policy's contribution to enhancing resource use efficiency, decreasing environmental impact, restoring ecosystems and how to ensure more efficient and effective agrienvironmental measures (AEMs). Nevertheless, studies that simultaneously address multiple measures with multiple environmental objectives and targets are underrepresented in the scientific literature. The objectives of the present article are (i) to present an integrated tool-kit for AEM design resulting from the combination of farm modelling with the Sustainable Value Approach (SVA), and (ii) to evaluate the potential of the tool-kit to support AEM design through an application to estimate cost-effective organic agriculture payments for the dairy sector in Mugello, northern Tuscany. Sustainability assessment of organic and conventional farming systems (OFS and CFS, respectively.) under the 2007-2013 EU CAP support schemes and a no EU support scenario show better OFS performances regarding nitrogen leaching (-52% and -47% under the current CAP and the no EU support scenarios, respectively), soil erosion (-24% and -34%), potential pesticide risks (-100%), biodiversity (+13% and +30%). Income foregone for the production of environmental benefits from organic agriculture under a no EU support scenario is equal to 210 Euro/ha. Sustainable value calculations combined with modelling results indicate soil erosion and nitrogen leaching as the environmental processes to be addressed with specific policy measures to further increase the efficiency of organic farming. A new organic agriculture support scheme designed based on such indications further increases the OFS SV and almost closes the GAP with a benchmark farm of the area, featured with ideal performances in terms of environmental and economic indicators. The payment scheme we designed with the support of the integrated tool-kit shows to be more cost-effective and efficient of current AEMs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000354503000007 Publication Date 2015-03-18  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 12 Open Access  
  Notes ; We wish to thank all participants to the SVAPPAS project for their inspiring contributions and challenging debates. We are furthermore grateful to the financial support from the 6th Framework Programme of the EU (project code: SSPECT – 2006 – DG AGRI). The authors are most grateful to technicians Giovanna Casella and Roberto Vivoli (University of Florence) for their technical contribution. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2015 IF: 2.906  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127537 Serial 6216  
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Author van Winsen, F.; de Mey, Y.; Lauwers, L.; Van Passel, S.; Vancauteren, M.; Wauters, E. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Cognitive mapping : a method to elucidate and present farmers' risk perception Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 122 Issue Pages 42-52  
  Keywords A1 Journal article  
  Abstract Assumptions on the perceptions of risks, made in agricultural economics literature, are recognized to be over-simplistic. For example most studies assume that risks are independent and static, while in reality most risks are interlinked and dynamic. We propose an alternative method to identify and present risk perception, closer to the actual comprehension of risk by farmers. Grounded theory is used to investigate the perceptions of risk by farmers while avoiding prior assumptions. Main findings are: (i) farmers have difficulty to rank or score probability and impact of risks in a (semi)quantitative manner; (ii) farmers attach different meanings to risk, when the focus shifts between, uncertain event, probability or value at stake and; (iii) farmers perceive risks as being interrelated. Based on these findings, we propose that farmers' risk perception can be best understood as a network of interrelated notions of uncertain events, their effects and uncertain outcomes. Furthermore, cognitive mapping is suggested to elucidate and present these networks. We test cognitive mapping, exploring dairy farmers' risk perception, and demonstrate the appropriateness of this methodology for capturing the complexity and context of perceived risk. Advantages are: (i) the qualitative approach, (ii) the focus on interrelations and context, (iii) the applicability at farm level, (iv) the farmer-driven rather than researcher-driven perspective, and (v) the elucidation of the polyvalent use of the risk concept. Cognitive maps can be used as a communication tool, a risk management tool, and a tool to stimulate bi-directional learning amongst farmers, policy makers, researchers and extension agents. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
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  Language Wos 000326910500005 Publication Date 2013-09-12  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 2.571 Times cited 27 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to acknowledge the Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology of the Flemish Government (IWT) for funding this research. Furthermore we would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable input. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.571; 2013 IF: 2.453  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:112765 Serial 6168  
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Author Annys, S.; Van Passel, S.; Dessein, J.; Adgo, E.; Nyssen, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title From fast-track implementation to livelihood deterioration: The dam-based Ribb Irrigation and Drainage Project in Northwest Ethiopia Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication (up) Agricultural Systems Abbreviated Journal Agr Syst  
  Volume 184 Issue Pages 102909-102913  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The 21st century revival of large-scale water resources development projects makes it important to keep assessing their impacts – preferably from an interdisciplinary perspective – in order to not repeat past mistakes and explore whether they could improve livelihood conditions for rural communities. In this study, costs and benefits of the World Bank-funded Ribb Irrigation and Drainage Project (RIDP) were investigated using a unique systems approach. The impact for farmers with different initial farming systems (rainfed – residual moisture – irrigated) was studied using field observations, document analyses, remote sensing, agronomic data and semi-structured interviews (n = 165). Data on project-induced changes to land and water availability, cropping patterns, farming systems and farm-level economics were collected. The results show that dam and dyke construction has reduced flooding, which has resulted in declining rice productivity ( – 42%) and concomitant shifts to lower value cropping systems. Results also reveal that the land redistribution has caused widespread livelihood deterioration as households had to give up 25% of their farmland and the communal grazing land was fully converted into farmland. Due to top-down implementation, nontransparent communication, delayed construction and lagging financial compensation, social resistance has appeared in the command area, impeding the construction works. In addition to these problems, if no rapid change to higher value crops can be realized, 20.5% of the farmers (those who already irrigate) will experience a loss of livelihood, 64.1% of the farmers (those with rainfed and residual moisture cultivation) will be on the verge of livelihood deterioration and only 13.5% of the farmers (those with solely rainfed cultivation) will enjoy RIDP-induced improved livelihoods. The fate of this project stresses the importance of investigating initial farming systems, exploring worthy project alternatives, improving participation, communication and benefit-sharing and strengthening the institutional capacity of implementing authorities.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000564756600013 Publication Date 2020-08-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0308-521x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.6 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6.6; 2020 IF: 2.571  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:172030 Serial 6927  
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Author Chekol Zewdie, M.; Van Passel, S.; Cools, J.; Tenessa, D.B.; Ayele, Z.A.; Tsegaye, E.A.; Minale, A.S.; Nyssen, J. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Direct and indirect effect of irrigation water availability on crop revenue in northwest Ethiopia : a structural equation model Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication (up) Agricultural Water Management Abbreviated Journal Agr Water Manage  
  Volume 220 Issue 220 Pages 27-35  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Development of a clear understanding of the relationship between the availability of dam-driven irrigation water and crop revenue is important in poverty reduction and food security process. As a result, large research efforts are devoted to understanding the relationship between the availability of irrigation water and crop revenue. However, earlier studies do have several limitations. For example, without considering its indirect effect, prior studies focused solely on the direct effect of availability of irrigation water on crop revue. In this study, using a structural equation model analysis, the direct and indirect effect of availability of dam-driven irrigation water on crop revenue is decomposed and quantified specifically for the Koga irrigation scheme, located in the Mecha district of Amhara region in Ethiopia. A primary data set was collected from a randomly selected sample of 450 households in the Koga irrigation scheme. More than half of the households (254) are supported by the Koga Dam irrigation water during the dry season, and the other 196 households depended only on rainfall. The results of the study showed that, in addition to its direct effect, the availability of irrigation water indirectly affected crop revenue through receptivity of the farmers to use modern farm inputs. Around 27 percent of the total effect of dam-driven irrigation water on crop revenue was mediated by farmers’ receptivity to use yield-enhancing modern farm inputs. The results of this study suggested that the availability of irrigation water is essential to improve both crop revenue and receptivity of the farmers to use modern farm inputs. This finding also drives a strategic framework that the receptivity of the farmers to use modern farm inputs is crucial for utilizing the positive effects of irrigation water availability on crop revenue.  
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  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000470941300003 Publication Date 2019-04-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0378-3774 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 2.848 Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors would like to thank Bahir Dar University – Institutional University Cooperation (BDU-IUC) VLIR_UOS project for providing us enough funds for the completion of this study. Special gratitude is given to Abrehet Kahassay and Kassahun Birhanu for helping us to map the study area; and to the data collectors (Hilemichael Fentahun, Etsehewot Birara, and Tsegachewu Degu) for their commitment. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Koga Irrigation Scheme office managers, Tewachewu Abebe, and his colleagues for their support during the data collection. The authors also acknowledge the farmers (respondents) for their willingness to spend time responding honestly to questions. ; Approved Most recent IF: 2.848  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:159246 Serial 6182  
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Author Zewdie, M.C.; Van Passel, S.; Moretti, M.; Annys, S.; Tenessa, D.B.; Ayele, Z.A.; Tsegaye, E.A.; Cools, J.; Minale, A.S.; Nyssen, J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Pathways how irrigation water affects crop revenue of smallholder farmers in northwest Ethiopia: A mixed approach Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2020 Publication (up) Agricultural Water Management Abbreviated Journal Agr Water Manage  
  Volume 233 Issue Pages 106101  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Sustainable Energy, Air and Water Technology (DuEL)  
  Abstract The relationship between irrigation water availability and crop revenue is multifaceted. However, most of the previous studies focused only on the direct effect of irrigation water on crop revenue or considered that the indirect effect passes only through the farmers’ improved farm inputs usage. Nevertheless, unlike previous studies, this study argues that a one-sided argument that irrigation water directly causes high crop revenue or indirectly affects crop revenue only via the farmers’ improved farm inputs usage is incomplete, as irrigation water not only directly contributes to crop revenue but also indirectly conduces to crop revenue via both the type of crops produced and the farmers’ improved farm inputs usage. Considering the previous studies’ limitations, this study investigates pathways how small-scale irrigation water affects crop revenue and identifies challenges of small-scale irrigation farming in Fogera district, Ethiopia. Results endorsed that irrigation water has both direct and indirect effects on crop revenue. The indirect effect is 67 percent of the total effect and it is mediated by both the type of crops produced and farmers’ improved farm inputs usage. The result also indicated that irrigation user farmers have a higher income, more livestock assets and resources and better food, housing, and cloths than the non-users. Moreover, challenges related to agricultural output and input market were identified as the most severe problem followed by crop disease. The findings of our study suggest that to utilize the benefits of irrigation water properly, it is crucial to encourage farmers to use more improved farm inputs and to shift from staple to cash crop production. Moreover, farmers are frequently exposed to cheating by illegal brokers in the output market, therefore it is also important to increase farmers’ accessibility to output and input markets, the quality of improved farm inputs, and the bargaining power of farmers with market information.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000525291200025 Publication Date 2020-02-29  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0378-3774 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6.7 Times cited Open Access  
  Notes Bahir Dar University – Institutional University Cooperation; Approved Most recent IF: 6.7; 2020 IF: 2.848  
  Call Number ENM @ enm @c:irua:167592 Serial 6353  
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Author Meul, M.; Van Passel, S.; Nevens, F.; Dessein, J.; Rogge, E.; Mulier, A.; Van Hauwermeiren, A. doi  openurl
  Title MOTIFS : a monitoring tool for integrated farm sustainability Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2008 Publication (up) Agronomy For Sustainable Development Abbreviated Journal Agron Sustain Dev  
  Volume 28 Issue 2 Pages 321-332  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics  
  Abstract Indicator-based monitoring tools are frequently applied for sustainability assessments, also in agriculture. However, many indicators focus on a rather restricted number of sustainability aspects such as economy or ecology. Moreover the choice of the indicator is rarely explained. The aim of our study was to develop an indicator-based monitoring tool for integrated farm sustainability – i.e. taking into account economic and ecological and social aspects – based on a supported vision of sustainable agriculture and using a set of relevant indicators. Hereby, specific attention was paid to aspects of communication and user-friendliness. Four methodological steps were considered: (i) translating the major principles of a supported vision of sustainable Flemish agriculture into concrete and relevant themes; (ii) designing indicators to monitor progress towards sustainability for each of those themes; (iii) aggregating the indicators into an integrated farm sustainability monitoring tool and (iv) applying the monitoring tool on a practical farm, as a first attempt at end-use validation. Stakeholder participation and expert consulting played an important part in each of these methodological steps. As a case study, the methodology was applied to Flemish dairy farms. As a result, we developed MOTIFS, a user-friendly and strongly communicative indicator-based monitoring tool that allows the measurement of progress towards integrated sustainable dairy farming systems and fits within a well-founded methodological framework. MOTIFS is based on the equality of the economic, ecological and social sustainability dimensions, and this equality is inherently built into the system. Through the applied methodology, we founded the selected themes and indicators and we avoided using indicators that are not relevant to the problem at hand.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000256235500018 Publication Date 2008-03-21  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1774-0746 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.101 Times cited 97 Open Access  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.101; 2008 IF: 1.649  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:136763 Serial 6229  
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Author Meul, M.; Van Passel, S.; Fremaut, D.; Haesaert, G. doi  openurl
  Title Higher sustainability performance of intensive grazing versus zero-grazing dairy systems Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication (up) Agronomy For Sustainable Development Abbreviated Journal Agron Sustain Dev  
  Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 629-638  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Although grazing of dairy cows is an integral part of dairy farming in many European countries, farmers today more often choose for zero-grazing systems, where cows are housed throughout the year. Some studies already compared grazing and zero-grazing systems for specific issues such as labor efficiency, environmental impact, or animal welfare. In our study, we perform a more integrated evaluation, considering relevant ecological, economic, and social aspects. This allows for a balanced and more complete comparison of the sustainability performance of the two production methods. We evaluated ten intensive grazing and ten zero-grazing specialized Flemish dairy farms on the use of nutrients and energy, productivity and profitability, labor input, and animal welfare. In addition, we put special effort in formulating useful management advice for farmers. Therefore, we combined a detailed analysis of the sustainability indicators with an intensive interaction and discussion with farmers and farm advisors. Results show that, on average, the zero-grazing farms performed significantly worse from an ecological and economic point of view. This fact is explained mainly due to a less efficient use of concentrates and byproducts. Social sustainability performance did not differ significantly between the two groups. As a result, the integrated sustainability performance was significantly lower for the zero-grazing group. This finding shows that a further shift from intensive grazing to zero-grazing can move dairy farming in Flanders further away from sustainability. An important advice to improve the ecological and economic performance of zero-grazing farms is to optimize cows' rations to include more forages and optimize forage production and use. More detailed site- and case-specific management advice for farmers of both groups was provided during a discussion meeting. We consider this an essential additional step to any sustainability evaluation, since progress can only be made when monitoring results are translated into practical measures.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000306061800003 Publication Date 2012-01-11  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1774-0746 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.101 Times cited 26 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 4.101; 2012 IF: 3.573  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127557 Serial 6209  
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Author Creemers, S.; Van Passel, S.; Vigani, M.; Vlahos, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Relationship between farmers' perception of sustainability and future farming strategies : a commodity-level comparison Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication (up) AIMS Agriculture and Food Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 613-642  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The environmental challenges have become increasingly integrated into the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Europe 2020 CAP Framework defines new rules for farmers and targets on innovation, resource efficiency, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. Given the continual evolution of the CAP, it is relevant to focus on sustainable agriculture and which indicators can be employed to aid our understanding of the future farming strategies. This study examines the relationship between perceived sustainability and future farming strategies for three different commodities: sugar beet, dairy, and feta cheese. Survey data collected between 2017-2018 from 191 Belgian sugar beet farmers, 524 dairy farmers (from UK, Denmark, France, and Latvia), and 150 Greek sheep and goat farmers producing milk for feta cheese were analysed using multinomial logistic regressions. Our results show that the farmers' attitude towards sustainability affects intentions to implement specific farming strategies. Belgian sugar beet farmers who perceive their supply chain arrangements (SCAs) environmentally sustainable are less likely to reduce the scale of their farms' operations rather than to maintain them. Dairy farmers are more likely to change the existing scale than to maintain scale if they perceive that production choices affect environmental sustainability to a higher extent. Dairy farmers who perceive their SCAs economically sustainable are less likely to abandon farming. Greek sheep and goat farmers who perceive their SCAs economically sustainable are more likely to expand the existing scale. The observed differences at commodity-level show the importance of well targeted policy measures towards more sustainable farming systems in the European Union.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000488251600009 Publication Date 2019-08-08  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2471-2086 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited 1 Open Access  
  Notes ; This research was performed within the frame of the EU's HORIZON 2020 project SUFISA with the grant agreement number 635577. The authors want to thank colleagues from the SUFISA project for stimulating and inspiring discussions on this topic. In particular we would like to thank all the participants of the 2019 SUFISA final conference at the Jagiellonian University of Krakow for fruitful discussions. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163832 Serial 6242  
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Author Biely, K.; Mathijs, E.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Causal loop diagrams to systematically analyze market power in the Belgian sugar value chain Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication (up) AIMS Agriculture and Food Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 4 Issue 3 Pages 711-730  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract It has been acknowledged that power is a fundamental aspect that needs to be considered when performing a value chain analysis. The structure of the value chain is indicative of the power distribution along the chain. By employing systems thinking the structure of the value chain can be further investigated and inferences on market power issues can be made. This novel approach connects value chain research with insights from Industrial Organization (IO) literature. Depending on the case, market power may not be measurable by traditional economic tools. Systems thinking offers an alternative tool, allowing the employment of qualitative and quantitative data, overcoming drawbacks of IO methods and providing more depth to value chain analysis. In this paper the valuable contribution of systems thinking to market power analysis is exemplified by the Belgian sugar beet case. The analysis showed that transportability and perishability of sugar beet are key causes of market failure in the Belgian sugar value chain. Systems thinking can support understanding potential future behavior of the market based on the thorough understanding of the current market structure. We illustrate how to integrate factors determining the market structure into causal loop diagrams. This novel approach allows a comprehensive evaluation and thus opens up market power analysis to interdisciplinary research.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000488251600014 Publication Date 2019-08-09  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2471-2086 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access  
  Notes ; This research was performed within the frame of the EU's HORIZON 2020 project SUFISA with the grant agreement number 635577. The authors want to thank colleagues from the SUFISA project for stimulating and inspiring discussions on this topic. ; Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:163833 Serial 6165  
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Author Biely, K.; Von Muenchhausen, S.; Van Passel, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Vertical integration as a strategy to increase value absorption by primary producers : the Belgian sugar beet and the German rapeseed case Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication (up) AIMS Agriculture and Food Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 7 Issue 3 Pages 659-682  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Pharmacology. Therapy; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Vertical integration is a means of increasing market power. For some agricultural products, it is easier for farmers to exert control over their product beyond the farm gate, but for others it is more difficult. Cases in the latter category have two main characteristics. First, the farmer cannot sell the respective product to final consumers without processing. Second, processing is capital-intensive. Consequently, farmers have limited sales channels, and vertical integration of the supply chain is complex and challenging. It implies cooperation among farmers to process the raw material at a profitable scale and to finance the installation of processing facilities. Thus, for these product categories, farmers are prone to market power issues, since they depend on private businesses that have the financial means to install processing facilities and the logistical capacities to organize the collection of large amounts of raw material. This paper aims to identify and analyze the role of supply chain integration for farmers who are already cooperating horizontally. Two case studies serve as the basis for the analysis: sugar beet in Flanders, Belgium, and oilseed rape in Hessen, Germany. The analysis is based on a qualitative research approach combining interviews, focus groups, and workshops with farmers and processors. While for sugar beet, the effects of market power are emerging only now with the termination of the quota system, farmers growing oilseed rape have been experiencing these problems since the 1990s. Our analysis concludes that most strategies to maintain or improve farm income have been exhausted. Even various forms of vertical integration supported by European policies do not necessarily work as a successful strategy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000860666800001 Publication Date 2022-08-17  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 2471-2086 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor 1.8 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 1.8  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:191514 Serial 7374  
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Author Sebhatu, K.T.; Taheri, F.; Berhanu, T.; Maertens, M.; Van Passel, S.; D'Haese, M. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title Beyond focus : exploring variability of service provision of agricultural cooperatives Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2021 Publication (up) Annals of public and cooperative economics Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume 92 Issue 2 Pages 207-231  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The wide array of services provided by agricultural cooperatives for their members is often not considered in academic studies. Addressing this gap in the literature, our paper explores the wide array of services provided by agricultural cooperatives and how these extend beyond those they were initially intended to provide. We study the extent and characteristics of service portfolios from 511 agricultural cooperatives in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Results from two-limit Tobit models confirm that government and NGO-initiated cooperatives have a wide service portfolio compared to member-initiated cooperatives. In many of the studied cooperatives, the services they provide and their portfolios are more diverse than expected. Cooperatives seem to go beyond their focal areas of intervention. Also, those cooperatives that are more outward-oriented and where the chair has contact with other cooperatives or businesses, have a wider service portfolio. These results may help to explain the mixed findings on the impact of cooperative membership.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000583855500001 Publication Date 2020-10-27  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1370-4788; 1467-8292 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record  
  Impact Factor Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: NA  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:173574 Serial 6916  
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Author Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S.; Pelkmans, L.; Guisson, R.; Reumermann, P.; Luzardo, N.M.; Witters, N.; Broeze, J. doi  openurl
  Title A techno-economic evaluation of a biomass energy conversion park Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2013 Publication (up) Applied Energy Abbreviated Journal Appl Energ  
  Volume 104 Issue Pages 611-622  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Biomass as a renewable energy source has many advantages and is therefore recognized as one of the main renewable energy sources to be deployed in order to attain the target of 20% renewable energy use of final energy consumption by 2020 in Europe. In this paper the concept of a biomass Energy Conversion Park (ECP) is introduced. A biomass ECP can be defined as a synergetic, multi-dimensional biomass conversion site with a highly integrated set of conversion technologies in which a multitude of regionally available biomass (residue) sources are converted into energy and materials. A techno-economic assessment is performed on a case study in the Netherlands to illustrate the concept and to comparatively assess the highly integrated system with two mono-dimensional models. The three evaluated models consist of (1) digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste, (2) co-digestion of manure and co-substrates, and (3) integration. From a socio-economic point of view it can be concluded that it is economically and energetically more interesting to invest in the integrated model than in two separate models. The integration is economically feasible and environmental benefits can be realized. For example, the integrated model allows the implementation of a co-digester. Unmanaged manure would otherwise represent a constant pollution risk. However, from an investor's standpoint one should firstly invest in the municipal solid waste digester since the net present value (NPV) of this mono-dimensional model is higher than that of the multi-dimensional model. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most influencing parameters. Our results are of interest for companies involved in the conversion of biomass. The conclusions are useful for policy makers when deciding on policy instruments concerning manure processing or biogas production. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000316152700062 Publication Date 2012-12-25  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0306-2619 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 7.182 Times cited 45 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. Furthermore, the authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from INTERREG and the province of Limburg (Belgium). Also, we would like to thank all remaining partners of the ECP project (Eloi Schreurs, Dries Maes, Kristian Coppoolse, Han ten Berge, Bert Annevelink, Nathalie Devriendt, Erwin Cornelissen, Hannes Pieper, Pieter Vollaard, Jan Venselaar, and Hessel Abbink Spaink) for their support and contributions. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude towards the organization of the eighth International Conference on Renewable Resources and Biorefineries in Toulouse (France) for giving us the opportunity to present and thereby fine-tune our work. ; Approved Most recent IF: 7.182; 2013 IF: 5.261  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127552 Serial 6145  
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Author Azadi, H.; Akbar Barati, A.; Rafiaani, P.; Raufirad, V.; Zarafshani, K.; Mamoorian, M.; Van Passel, S.; Lebailly, P. doi  openurl
  Title Agricultural land conversion drivers in Northeast Iran : application of structural equation model Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2016 Publication (up) Applied Spatial Analysis And Policy Abbreviated Journal Appl Spat Anal Polic  
  Volume 9 Issue 4 Pages 591-609  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Identifying driving forces behind agricultural land conversion (ALC) remains one of the most difficult challenges that agricultural and environmental scientists must continually deal with. The difficulty emerges from the fact that in ALC, multiple actions and interactions between different factors (i.e., economic, political, environmental, biophysical, institutional, and cultural) exist and make it difficult to understand the function of the processes behind the changes. The phenomenon of ALC in different countries is varied in terms of intensity, trends and drivers. The main goal of this study was to understand these drivers in Northeast Iran through applying structural equation model (SEM). Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, 101 executive officers participated in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. A multi-stakeholder analysis and a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach were applied. Results revealed that not only from the policy makers perspective but also based on the SEM, economic, political, technological, social and environmental factors should respectively be the five major drivers of ALC. The results also showed that among other drivers, more profitability of non-agriculture sectors, excessive rising of land prices, farmers income instability, land fragmentation, urban sprawl and inheritance laws are the main six causes of ALC. Hence, it can be concluded that policy-makers and planners need to take these drivers and subsidiaries more into consideration in order to properly respond to ALC.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000387410900008 Publication Date 2015-06-04  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1874-463x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 1.825 Times cited 6 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 1.825  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:136749 Serial 6148  
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Author Van Dael, M.; Marquez, N.; Reumerman, P.; Pelkmans, L.; Kuppens, T.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Development and techno-economic evaluation of a biorefinery based on biomass (waste) streams : case study in the Netherlands Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2014 Publication (up) Biofuels Bioproducts & Biorefining-Biofpr Abbreviated Journal Biofuel Bioprod Bior  
  Volume 8 Issue 5 Pages 635-644  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract In this paper, the technical and economic advantages of combining conversion technologies into a multi-dimensional plant primarily using regional biomass residues are investigated. The main objective is to show how locally available biomass can be used more efficiently as a source for renewable energy and bio-based products. Therefore, not only is the theoretical perspective considered, but also a reality check for the local situation is taken into account. Although industrial attitude toward biorefineries is positive, the efficient production of a portfolio of bio-based products has not yet been implemented. A biorefinery concept for Moerdijk (the Netherlands) was developed, focusing on grass refining, production of pyrolysis oil, biodiesel production, and bio-LNG production. Grass refining is the most experimental technique of all proposed conversion techniques. In terms of development, pyrolysis oil and bio-LNG production are in the demonstration phase. Anaerobic digestion and biodiesel production are proven techniques. It is shown that this concept allows for synergies with regard to the utilization of residue flows from internal processes. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that by integrating different conversion technologies, an economically feasible concept can be developed in which technologies, currently residing in a demonstration phase, can also be brought to the market. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000342662200015 Publication Date 2013-11-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1932-104x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.694 Times cited 18 Open Access  
  Notes ; We would like to thank the editor and the anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions and insightful comments that have significantly improved the paper. The Energy Conversion Parks (ECP) project is funded by the Interreg IVa – Flanders-Netherlands program from the European Fund for Regional Development that stimulates cross-border projects. Also the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Flemish Government, the Provinces of Noord-Brabant (NL), Zeeland (NL), Limburg (BE) and the partners (VITO, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Hasselt University, and Zeeland University of Applied Sciences) themselves are co-financing the project. We also would like to express our gratitude toward the organization of the 2nd Iberoamerican Congress on Biorefineries in Jaen (Spain) for giving us the opportunity to present and thereby fine-tune our work. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.694; 2014 IF: 4.214  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127541 Serial 6180  
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Author Witters, N.; Mendelsohn, R.; Van Passel, S.; Van Slycken, S.; Weyens, N.; Schreurs, E.; Meers, E.; Tack, F.; Vanheusden, B.; Vangronsveld, J. doi  openurl
  Title Phytoremediation, a sustainable remediation technology? 2 : economic assessment of CO2 abatement through the use of phytoremediation crops for renewable energy production Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication (up) Biomass & Bioenergy Abbreviated Journal Biomass Bioenerg  
  Volume 39 Issue Pages 470-477  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Phytoremediation could be a sustainable remediation alternative for conventional remediation technologies. However, its implementation on a commercial scale remains disappointing. To emphasize its sustainability, this paper examines whether and how the potential economic benefit of CO2 abatement for different crops used for phytoremediation or sustainable land management purposes could promote phytotechnologies. Our analysis is based on a case study in the Campine region, where agricultural soils are contaminated with mainly cadmium. We use Life Cycle Analysis to show for the most relevant crops (willow (Salix spp), energy maize (Zea mays), and rapeseed (Brassica napus)), that phytoremediation, used for renewable energy production, could abate CO2. Converting this in economic numbers through the Marginal Abatement Cost of CO2 ( 20 ton−1) we can integrate this in the economic analysis to compare phytoremediation crops among each other, and phytoremediation with conventional technologies. The external benefit of CO2 abatement when using phytoremediation crops for land management ranges between 55 and 501 per hectare. The purpose of these calculations is not to calculate a subsidy for phytoremediation. There is no reason why one would prefer phytoremediation crops for renewable energy production over normal biomass. Moreover, subsidies for renewable energy already exist. Therefore, we should not integrate these numbers in the economic analysis again. However, these numbers could contribute to making explicit the competitive advantage of phytoremediation compared to conventional remediation technologies, but also add to a more sustainably funded decision on which crop should be grown on contaminated land.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000302829900054 Publication Date 2011-12-20  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0961-9534 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.219 Times cited 38 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.219; 2012 IF: 2.975  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:129863 Serial 6236  
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Author Maes, D.; Van Passel, S. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Effective bioeconomy policies for the uptake of innovative technologies under resource constraints Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2019 Publication (up) Biomass & Bioenergy Abbreviated Journal Biomass Bioenerg  
  Volume 120 Issue 120 Pages 91-106  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract The bioeconomy is a shared vision for a future European industry entirely based on organic matter. Authorities support this technological development with subsidies and policies stimulating R&D. One major limitation for the bioeconomy is that R&D and industrial growth require the continuous availability of biomass as a primary resource. This resource dependence is already present during the formative years of new biobased innovations and influences the pilot and demonstration phase of the development. Traditionally, it is assumed that public support for pilot and demonstration initiatives may overcome this hurdle. In this paper, we investigate how this resource constraint limits the effectiveness of bioeconomy policies. The future development of the biobased sector is simulated including the inherent dependence of industrial activity on biomass. We simulate the future growth and technological diversity of an emerging biotechnological sector: the sector of manure transformation in Belgium. The paper reports the evolutions for three policy scenarios. The model explicitly accounts for endogenous innovation and knowledge transfer mechanisms. The results show that policies may have an important impact on the sector structure in the long run, but the sector growth remains ultimately constrained by the availability of inputs. So bioeconomy policies to promote innovation will be less effective, unless mechanisms are included to alleviate the resource constraint.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000454887700011 Publication Date 2018-11-22  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0961-9534 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.219 Times cited 3 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.219  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:156757 Serial 6191  
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Author Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S.; Pelkmans, L.; Guisson, R.; Swinnen, G.; Schreurs, E. doi  openurl
  Title Determining potential locations for biomass valorization using a macro screening approach Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication (up) Biomass & Bioenergy Abbreviated Journal Biomass Bioenerg  
  Volume 45 Issue Pages 175-186  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract European policy states that by 2020 at least 20% of final energy consumption should come from renewable energy sources. Biomass as a renewable energy source cannot be disregarded in order to attain this target. In this study a macro screening approach is developed to determine potential locations for biomass valorization in a specified region. The approach consists of five steps: (1) criteria determination, (2) data gathering, (3) weight assignment, (4) final score, (5) spatial representation. The resulting outcome provides a first well balanced scan of the possibilities for energy production using regional biomass. This way policy makers and investors can be supported and motivated to study the possibilities of building energy production plants at specific locations in more detail, which can be described as a 'micro-screening'. In our case study the approach is applied to determine the potentially interesting locations to establish a biomass project. The region has been limited to the forty-four communities in the province of Limburg (Belgium). The macro screening approach has shown to be very effective since the amount of interesting locations has been reduced drastically. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000308384500019 Publication Date 2012-06-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0961-9534 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 3.219 Times cited 23 Open Access  
  Notes ; The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from INTERREG and the province of Limburg. Special thanks to our colleague Thomas Voets for his effort in making the GIS maps. Moreover, the authors would like to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. ; Approved Most recent IF: 3.219; 2012 IF: 2.975  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127554 Serial 6178  
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Author Martinez-Villarreal, S.; Breitenstein, A.; Nimmegeers, P.; Perez Saura, P.; Hai, B.; Asomaning, J.; Eslami, A.A.; Billen, P.; Van Passel, S.; Bressler, D.C.; Debecker, D.P.; Remacle, C.; Richel, A. pdf  doi
openurl 
  Title Drop-in biofuels production from microalgae to hydrocarbons : microalgal cultivation and harvesting, conversion pathways, economics and prospects for aviation Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication (up) Biomass & Bioenergy Abbreviated Journal Biomass Bioenerg  
  Volume 165 Issue Pages 106555-22  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract In the last few years, governments all around the world have agreed upon migrating towards carbon-neutral economies as a strategy for restraining the effects of climate change. A major obstacle limiting this achievement is greenhouse gases emissions, for which the aviation sector is a key contributor because of its dependence on fossil fuels. As an alternative, biofuels with similar characteristics to current fossil-fuels and fully compatible with the existing petroleum infrastructure (i.e., drop-in biofuels) are being developed. In this regard, microalgae are a promising feedstock thanks to, among other aspects, their potential for lipid accumulation. This review outlines the development status, opportunities, and challenges of different technologies that are capable of or applicable to transform microalgae into aviation fuels. To this effect, a baseline of the existing jet fuels and the requirements for potential aviation biofuels is initially presented. Then, microalgae production and valorization techniques are discussed with an emphasis on the thermochemical pathways. Finally, an assessment of the present techno-economic feasibility of microalgae-derived aviation fuels is discussed, along with the authors’ point of view on the suitability of these techniques. Further developments are needed to reduce the costs of cultivation and harvesting of microalgae, and a biorefinery approach might improve the economics of the overall process. In addition, while each of the conversion routes described has its advantages and drawbacks, they converge upon the need of optimizing the deoxygenation techniques and the proportion of the suitable type of hydrocarbons that match fuel requirements.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000861095400001 Publication Date 2022-08-30  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0961-9534 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 6 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 6  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:189953 Serial 7354  
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Author Thomassen, G.; Van Dael, M.; Van Passel, S. pdf  url
doi  openurl
  Title The potential of microalgae biorefineries in Belgium and India : an environmental techno-economic assessment Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2018 Publication (up) Bioresource Technology Abbreviated Journal Bioresource Technol  
  Volume 267 Issue 267 Pages 271-280  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract This study performs an environmental techno-economic assessment (ETEA) for multiple microalgae biorefinery concepts at different locations, those being Belgium and India. The ETEA methodology, which integrates aspects of the TEA and LCA methodologies and provides a clear framework for an integrated assessment model, has been proposed and discussed. The scenario in India has a higher profitability with a NPV of (sic)40 million over a period of 10 years, while the environmental impact in Belgium is lower. The inclusion of a medium recycling step provides the best scenario from both perspectives. The crucial parameters for feasibility are the beta-caroteneprice and content, the upstream environmental impact of electricity and the maximum biomass concentration during cultivation. The identification of these parameters by the ETEA guides future technology developments and shortens the time-to-market for microalgal-based biorefineries.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000441876100034 Publication Date 2018-07-10  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0960-8524 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.651 Times cited 8 Open Access  
  Notes ; ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.651  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:153599 Serial 6270  
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Author Ang, F.; Van Passel, S. doi  openurl
  Title Beyond the environmentalist's paradox and the debate on weak versus strong sustainability Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2012 Publication (up) Bioscience Abbreviated Journal Bioscience  
  Volume 62 Issue 3 Pages 251-259  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)  
  Abstract Environmentalists generally argue that ecological damage will (eventually) lead to declines in human well-being. From this perspective, the recent introduction of the “environmentalist's paradox” in BioScience by Raudsepp-Hearne and colleagues (2010) is particularly significant. In essence, Raudsepp-Hearne and colleagues (2010) claimed that although ecosystem services have been degraded, human well-being-paradoxically-has increased. In this article, we show that this debate is in fact rooted in a broader discussion on weak sustainability versus strong sustainability (the substitutability of human-made capital for natural capital). We warn against the reductive nature of focusing only on a stock flow framework in which a natural-capital stock produces ecosystem services. Concretely, we recommend a holistic approach in which the complexity, irreversibility, uncertainty, and ethical predicaments intrinsic to the natural environment and its connections to humanity are also considered.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000301561900008 Publication Date 2012-03-07  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 0006-3568 ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 5.378 Times cited 17 Open Access  
  Notes ; We thank three anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. This aiticle has benefited considerably from interesting discussions (especially with Liesbet Vranken) at the 13th Belgian PhD Symposium of Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics, Brussels, on 27 April 2011. We are grateful for the financial support of the European Fund for Regional Development project 475, Closing the Circle. ; Approved Most recent IF: 5.378; 2012 IF: 4.739  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:127559 Serial 6160  
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Author Zhang, Y.; Sahoo, P.K.; Ren, P.; Qin, Y.; Cauwenbergh, R.; Nimmegeers, P.; Gandhi, S.R.; Van Passel, S.; Guidetti, A.; Das, S. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Transition metal-free approach for the late-stage benzylic C(sp3)-H etherifications and esterifications Type A1 Journal article
  Year 2022 Publication (up) Chemical Communications Abbreviated Journal Chem Commun  
  Volume 58 Issue 81 Pages 11454-11457  
  Keywords A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM); Organic synthesis (ORSY); Intelligence in PRocesses, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents (iPRACS)  
  Abstract Herein, we report a transition metal-free approach for the regioselective functionalisation of benzylic C(sp3)-H bonds using alcohols and carboxylic acids as the nucleophiles. This approach provides a straightforward route for the synthesis of various benzylic ethers and esters to provide a wide generality of this system. Expediently, twelve pharmaceutically relevant compounds have been synthesized using this strategy.  
  Address  
  Corporate Author Thesis  
  Publisher Place of Publication Editor  
  Language Wos 000857171200001 Publication Date 2022-09-05  
  Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title  
  Series Volume Series Issue Edition  
  ISSN 1359-7345; 1364-548x ISBN Additional Links UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles  
  Impact Factor 4.9 Times cited Open Access OpenAccess  
  Notes Approved Most recent IF: 4.9  
  Call Number UA @ admin @ c:irua:190191 Serial 7372  
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