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Abstract
Modern bioenergy is a core ingredient of sustainable economic development as it plays an important role
in poverty reduction and green growth. This makes bioenergy innovations critical, especially in developing
countries where many households and rural communities rely on traditional bioenergy. Managing the
multiple tradeoffs among bioenergy use, agricultural productivity, and ecosystem functions is a major
development challenge. Addressing this challenge requires the identification of the drivers, tradeoffs and
impacts of bioenergy production, trade and use in the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus. The key
objective of this paper is to provide an analytical framework and assess the track record of policy actions to
stimulate modern bioenergy innovation in order to achieve multiple-win outcomes in terms of poverty
alleviation, improved health and gender empowerment and environmental sustainability. We begin by
describing the global trends and drivers in bioenergy production, trade and use. Secondly, we review the
state of the art on impacts and links of bioenergy with the other Nexus components. Thirdly, we suggest a
conceptual framework for evaluating the synergies and tradeoffs of bioenergy with other bioeconomic and
economic activities along the Nexus. Follow-up empirical research at household and community levels in
several developing countries will be based on this framework. Finally, a discussion on the conceptual
framework is enriched by insights on the relevant actors, the tools and mechanisms specific to these actors
for catalyzing innovations in the bioenergy for development.