Land Cover Changes Following Biogas Development Across Different Farm Types: A Nationwide Study in France

Biogas production is increasingly promoted across Europe as a renewable energy source, with growing attention to minimizing land use impacts and preserving food production. In France, biogas plant development has rapidly expanded in recent years, along with the use of energy cover crops. This study examines the national land cover changes following the implementation of biogas plants and explores potential explanatory variables for these changes. Using four key databases (the French Land Parcel Identification System, the SINOE database, the Open Data Reseaux Energies database, and the 2020 French Agricultural Census), we identified farms linked to biogas plants and analyzed their land cover dynamics across various farm characteristics between 2010 and 2021. A typology of land cover changes was developed through clustering techniques. At the national level, our results showed significant land cover changes, including increases in maize and other cereal areas (e.g., rye, triticale, sorghum, among others) and decreases in rapeseed and common wheat. Regional variability emerged which suggests distinct strategies of energy crop introduction. Notably, stronger land cover changes were observed on field crop farms and on those with injection-based biogas plants, which are expected to become the dominant system in the future. Additionally, irrigation availability tended to favor summer energy cover crops over winter energy cover crops. Distinct land cover changes were also observed on organic farms, with a notable increase in “grassland and forage crop” areas (excluding silage maize). As the European biomethane market expands, concerns arise regarding the long-term land cover implications of this growth. While energy cover crops are promoted as a sustainable feedstock for biomethane production, their widespread adoption could still lead to significant land cover changes. This raises important questions about the feasibility of achieving Europe's biomethane production goals while addressing potential land use challenges.