ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by introducing basic aspects of bioenergy, biomass crops, and bioenergy policy. It introduces Values and Investments for Agent-Based interaction and Learning in Environmental model of farmer decision making, describes a single farmer agent and spatializes the model to account for multiple agents interacting over space and time. The chapter discusses conflict potential due to bioenergy introduction. It explores several scenarios, including simulations with and without bioenergy crop introduction, and bioenergy crops with subsidies. The chapter focuses on the State of Illinois, USA, which is a major producer of ethanol, and the area where two promising high-yield perennial grasses, miscanthus and switchgrass, are expected to play major roles as energy crops in the Midwest United States. It concludes by summarizing their findings and their implications, as well as discussing ways to improve the model and apply it to real-world conflicts.
