Marginal land (MagL) use for biomass production has received a lot of attention in the past decades. This alternative land use is free from conflicts with food crops, however it presents multiple challenges. The major issue to be resolved is the definition of marginal lands, which varies between disciplines and is often determined based on management goals. Moreover, concerns over the impacts of MagL use on environment, ecosystem services and sustainability have to be addressed.
In response to these issues, the SEEMLA approach proposes an algorithm and tools to support MagLs identification and mapping, as well as the assessment of their potential for biomass production. The SEEMLA algorithm assesses land marginality using the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR) developed by Mueller et al. (2007). The algorithm also incorporates criteria to eliminate MagLs that may not be exploitable for bioenergy due to ecological and environmental issues or regulatory and legal restrictions and constraints posed by national or EU policies applied. Finally, MagL suitable for bioenergy production is categorized based on climatic zone and crop suitability. Alternative exploitation scenarios are developed for each class of MagL. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will determine the sustainability of each scenario, considering also the results of the pilot sites that have been established in Germany, Greece and Ukraine.