PhD  project on Consequential Life Cycle Analysis of biodiesel  from
oilseed rape in France

The National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the French
technical institute for oilseed crops (CETIOM) are seeking PhD
candidates on the modelling of direct and indirect land-use changes and
the environmental impacts of biofuels from oilseed rape in France.


Background :

Biomass is expected to be a major player in the energy transition toward
low-carbon economies, in response to the pressing challenges of climate
change and dwindling fossil resources. Such high expectations are
reflected in the ambitious targets recently set for instance in the EU
and the US for liquid biofuels, with an expected share of 10% to 30%
within the next 20 years. Recent work on the environmental impacts of
currently-commercial biofuels such as biodiesel from oilseed rape
emphasized the importance of land-use change effects on the life-cycle
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of biofuels. The large-scale deployment
of biofuels is likely to result in both direct (local) and indirect
(remote) land-use changes, although their magnitude is still poorly
known and highly controversial. A better understanding of the interplay
between local changes in agricultural production systems as driven by
biofuel expansion, and the global consequences on land-use worldwide is
therefore warranted to assess the potential environmental benefits and
costs of biofuels.

The Environment and arable crops laboratory is a joint research unit
between the French national institute of agricultural sciences (INRA), a
leading public research organization in the field of agricultural and
environmental sciences, and AgroParisTech, the Paris technology
institute of food, life and environmental sciences. It is located at
Grignon (40 kms west of Paris). Its research foci include both the
measurement and modelling of biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of carbon
and reactive N trace-gases, and the environmental assessment of arable
crops and bioenergy chains.

CETIOM (Centre technique interprofessionnel des oléagineux
métropolitains) is the French technical institute for oilseed crops. The
main species studied by this institute are rapeseed, sunflower, soybean
and linseed. CETIOM is located in 17 sites in France, including one site
at Estrées-Mons in Picardy. Its objective is to design and to test
innovations in agriculture and in the processing of plants in order to
improve the sustainability of oilseed crops. In order to achieve this
goal, CETIOM develops partnerships with public research institutes,
agrochemical companies and processing industries, extension services and
farmers.

Job description :

The objective of the proposed PhD project is to combine biophysical
modelling at ecosystem level and economic modelling at local and global
scales to improve our understanding of the implications of biofuels
deployment in France on land-use changes and the environmental
performance of biofuels. The candidate will develop and adapt
agro-ecosystem models to simulate the dynamics of water, C and nutrients
in cropping systems including winter oilseed rape in France, to provide
regional estimates of fluxes and emissions to be input in a life-cycle
analysis of biodiesel from rapeseed oil. The model will be tested on
data sets representing various production basins across France, and a
set of long-term experiments on C dynamics, to account for direct
land-use change (LUC) effects. Scenarios of direct LUC as driven by
biofuel expansion will be generated by combining economic models of
representative farms (arable and livestock) with agro-ecosystem models.
The environmental impacts of indirect land-use change (iLUC) will
involve a second modelling case-study based on an experimental trial on
a transition from a tropical forest to arable crops in French Guyana. A
global partial equilibrium model integrating the agricultural, bioenergy
and forestry sectors (GLOBIOM) will be used to generate iLUC scenarios.
Results on direct and indirect LUC effects, as driven by various of
biofuel deployment scenarios will be integrated into the LCA of
biodiesel to improve our assessment of their potential benefits and
drawbacks.


Requirements: applicants should possess a university degree at MSc level
in Agricultural or Environmental Sciences with a strong interest in
economics, or in Economical Sciences with a strong interest for
agricultural systems and environmental assessment. He/she should be
motivated to combine biophysical modelling at ecosystem level and
economic modelling. Proficiency in English (both spoken and written) is
required, as well as good communication skills (oral and in writing).


Condition of employment: gross salary per month : 2380 EUR.

Start date: November 1st, 2011

Duration of contract: 3 years.


Candidates should send a resume, motivation letter and references to :

Benoît GABRIELLE
E-mail: [log in to unmask]   / Phone: (00 33) 1 30 81 55 51
UMR INRA AgroParisTech Environnement et grandes cultures
78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France

Web site: http://www.versailles-grignon.inra.fr/egc/

Applications are open until August 25th, 2011.


Additional information may be obtained from:

Florence JACQUET, Research Director
INRA
E-mail :[log in to unmask]

Benoît GABRIELLE, Professor in Environmental Biophysics
Environment and Arable Crops Research Unit (INRA -- AgroParisTech), Grignon
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Francis FLENET
CETIOM
E-mail: [log in to unmask]