Land use for alcohol production and its implications for food security: an assessment of the data (PREPRINT)

When analysing the land use and food security implications of the production of alcohol-related beverages, it is paramount to differentiate between data relating to crops used for the production of alcohol-related beverages and data relating to crops used for the production of ethanol-related biofuels. Conflating these data can lead to results that differ by an order of magnitude. Distinguishing between different end uses of agricultural crops matters when assessing land-use trade-offs. Going to the primary sources of the data used, where more context may be provided, can help better understand the nature and scope of the data.