Bio-fuel is blamed for driving the cost of food high up out of reach of the worldwide poor, making worse the crisis for food. United kingdom and United States are increasingly using bio-fuel as a measure to decrease the impact of petrol and diesel on environment. The farmland that was once used to grow crops to feed people is now growing feed for vehicles.
In general bio-fuel are not the problem, the problem lies in food base bio-fuels. It has been proven that algae and switchgrass produce many times more oil than corn, soy and any other food base. We lack refineries and infrastructures for these non-food based fuels.
There are many plants that are basing its infrastructure in feedstocks that minimize or completely remove any impact to the food chain. For instance some plants feedstocks will be based on the use of Jatropha Curcas for bio-diesel production which is a non-food crop and grows in arid regions in which food crops do not grow well. In addition, in the future algal oil will be a largely used feedstock which is also a non-food crop.
Thus, prior to blaming all bio-fuel plants for the cause of increasing food price, it should be research what feedstocks that plants are using.
In general bio-fuel are not the problem, the problem lies in food base bio-fuels. It has been proven that algae and switchgrass produce many times more oil than corn, soy and any other food base. We lack refineries and infrastructures for these non-food based fuels.
There are many plants that are basing its infrastructure in feedstocks that minimize or completely remove any impact to the food chain. For instance some plants feedstocks will be based on the use of Jatropha Curcas for bio-diesel production which is a non-food crop and grows in arid regions in which food crops do not grow well. In addition, in the future algal oil will be a largely used feedstock which is also a non-food crop.
Thus, prior to blaming all bio-fuel plants for the cause of increasing food price, it should be research what feedstocks that plants are using.
