In a World Hungry for Biofuels, Food Security Must Come First
by Olivier De Schutter (The Guardian) ...The new starting point should be to put food security first. Globally, 25% of land
by Olivier De Schutter (The Guardian) ...The new starting point should be to put food security first. Globally, 25% of land
(GreenAirOnline) With emissions from aviation and shipping likely to make up a quarter of the total UK output by 2050,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... United States Concerns over the price impacts of a devastating US drought have led to
by Will Nichols (Business Green) The EU's new biofuels policy falls short of what is needed to spur growth in advanced fuels
by David Thorpe (Link2Portal.com) A policy U-turn by the European Commission, on the indirect effects on land use and greenhouse gas
by Josh Rathod (Advanced Biofuels USA) RETECH 2012, an international conference on the business, policy, and technology of renewable
by Gerard Wynn (Reuters) The European Commission has proposed phasing out support for food-based biofuels in a move that not only undermines
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Deployment of next-gen bagasse-to-biofuels technologies could expand ethanol production in Brazil, India by 35 percent
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As drought, recession, and capital starvation form a perfect storm, will advanced biofuels be thrown
(BBC News) The Green Investment Bank being set up by the UK government has been given the green light by
by Clare Wenner (The Guardian) Grossly simplifying the issues and creating bogeymen risks crushing desperately needed solutions Given all the hysteria
by Louise Downing and Ewa Krukowska (Bloomberg BusinessWeek) The European Union wants to limit the contribution of crop-based biofuels toward the
(Deutsche Welle) Lufthansa has stopped testing biofuel in its aircraft because it has exhausted its stocks of biosynthetic kerosene and
(Reuters) ...The European Commission is under strong pressure from industry groups and some of its own departments to weaken a
(Reuters) EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food biofuels to meet targets; Investment incentives currently not enough Large new investment
(Renewable Energy Magazine) The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has warned that the speed and scale of EU proposals are likely
by Claire (Innovatrs) ...This week, the EU revised its target down to 5% in biofuels, and an additional 5% in
by Will Nichols (Business Green) Preferred site has been chosen for London facility set to generate two per cent of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Jobs, global expansion, proteins vs fuels, new R&D funding – all the big issues are
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) A new study, Global Biofuels Outlook to 2025, authored by Hart Energy, finds a disconnect between mandates
(Reuters) * EU shift away from food-based biofuels will need big investment * EU will need millions of tonnes of non-food
(Associated Press/The Guardian) Officials stress the need to avert a trade war with major economic powers such as China and
by Nigel Hunt and Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) European Union plans to cap the use of food-based biofuels are a major setback
by Jean Décotte (Reuters) * A horsey twist to the search for alternative aviation fuel * French project targets use of
(Algae.Tec/PR NewsWire) Algae.Tec Limited is pleased to announce that Algae.Tec and Lufthansa have signed a Collaboration Agreement for the construction
(Channel News Asia) The European Commission rejected Monday charges that EU biofuel policy was contributing to soaring food prices but
by Richard Baillie (Renewable Energy World) Emissions trading is growing in popularity across the globe, but doubts about its high
(EurActiv) A French plan to fight food price volatility took further shape yesterday (12 September) with a call to pause
by Louise Gray (The Telegraph) Drivers will be forced to pay an extra £35 a year due to a European
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) As reported elsewhere in the Digest today and throughout this week, In Brussels, a draft
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Airbus recently announced a partnership with China-based Tsinghua University to complete a sustainability analysis of
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/EPURE) ...If a magazine like the Economist is writing that the U.S.A. uses 40 percent of
by Elizabeth Pineau and Sybille de La Hamaide (Reuters) * France pushes for worldwide pause in biofuel growth * Biofuels push joins Hollande's call
(Reuters) The European Union will impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly
by Drew Kershen (BioFortified) ...I do not write to enter the debate focused on fuel standards, markets and commodity speculators.
by Jeremy Bowden (Renewable Energy World) For years Europe has encouraged motorists to use diesel over petrol in its efforts
by Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e.V. (UFOP) (Biodiesel Magazine) Experts from the Union zur Förderung von Oel-
(Ventures-Africa) A 32-year-old Swedish-Kenyan has won the European-African Entrepreneurship Award for a proposal to covert used cooking oils, widely used in the
(Algae Industry Magazine) Mark Keenan writes in The Independent that within 15 years, Irish drivers will be filling up their
(EurActiv) Europe's biofuel producers are hitting back at claims that they are at fault for this summer’s high food prices and challenge
The European Commission has today published its decision to proceed to the registration of ethanol imports coming from the USA
(The Bioenergy Site) NFU Scotland and Scottish Quality Crops (SQC) have welcomed the announcement that the European Commission has accepted
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) IEEP, the Institute for European Environmental Policy, has produced a review of the evidence base on the impacts of
by Whitney McFerron (Bloomberg) Surging corn prices and policy changes in the U.S. and European Union mean the outlook for the
(Equities.com) Smallholders at Cargill's palm oil plantation, PT Hindoli in South Sumatra, Indonesia, recently became the one of the first
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...Other favorite critics such as Oxfam also see the present situation as a new opportunity
By Elisabeth Rosenthal and Andrew W. Lehren (The New York Times) ...But where the United Nations envisioned environmental reform, some manufacturers
by Colleen Scherer (AG Professional) Soybean farmers in the United States have joined forces with other soybean farmers in Argentina, Brazil,
by Novan Iman Santosa (The Jakarta Post) Palm oil producer Musim Mas Group expects that there will be more demand
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, the European Biofuels Technology Platform has released a new report that says certain
(Platts) The EU needs to overcome regulatory uncertainty and provide more clarity on its biofuels policies before new investments are
by John Vidal (The Guardian) Indigenous smallholder farmers are being violently evicted as companies move in to satisfy Europe's hunger
by David Cronin (New Europe Online) ...The production of biofuels is a central factor behind the grabbing of land in
The call for abstracts is currently open for presentations in the International Conference on Biofuels for Sustainable Development of Southern
(Power-Technology.com) Gas has been reclassified as a green source of power by Horizon 2020, an €80bn European Union programme unveiled
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...(M)ore than 30 airlines now trialing, deploying biofuels – but who’s doing what, exactly? In Brazil, Azul
by Guy Chazan (Financial Times) In the world of biofuels, all eyes are on the tiny northern Italian town of
by Ben Caldecott (The Guardian) We need something that can deliver emission reductions from existing fleets of planes – and the
by Kevin Billinghurst (KTH) The KTH-led, 26-member consortium BRISK has begun accepting proposals from researchers studying improved production methods for
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It doesn’t take a casual observer very long to see the China’s activity in industrial
(Renewable Energy Magazine) The European renewable ethanol industry is contributing substantially to the European economy according to ePURE, the European
(FarmingUK.com) Latest government figures reveal that the vast majority of biofuels supplied in the UK are made from imported feedstock,
by Martin Roberts (Reuters) ...European biodiesel makers will be able to sell an additional one million tonnes a year in
(Wall Street Journal/Governors Biofuels Coalition) Top European Union policy makers will next week be faced with one of Europe's most
(EurActiv) Conventional biofuels like biodiesel increase carbon dioxide emissions and are too expensive to consider as a long-term alternative fuel,
(GreenAir Online) The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), which advises the UK government on national carbon targets, has recommended international
(NFU Online) The updated Red Tractor farm assurance scheme for crops and sugar beet is on the verge of being officially accepted
by Antje Grzesik (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ISCC System GmbH) ...The EU Renewable Energy Directive (Directive 2009/28/EC) establishes a common framework for the
by Greg Breining (University of Minnesota/Bioenergy Connection) ...Did demand for biofuel feedstocks, such as corn, sugarcane, rapeseed, and soybeans, drive
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) Archer Daniels Midland Co. Agri-Industries Lloydminster oilseeds processing facility recently announced the introduction
(Platts) A decision in favor of recognizing Ensus, a UK biofuel sustainability certification scheme, will be taken in "a matter
(Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative/PhysOrg) Plane makers and bitter rivals Airbus of Europe, Boeing of the US and Embraer of Brazil announced
by Eric van den Heuve (Edofys) Biofuels might offer opportunities for achieving improved balance of power to the European airlines
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In my opinion, the delay in putting a bill on the table is caused
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) Palms are said to be a symbol of peace and prosperity, but you can’t prove
(GreenAirOnline) A bill introduced into the US upper house by Republican Senator John Thune that would prohibit US aircraft
by Stu Ellis (FarmGateBlog) Every day supertankers full of $100 per barrel oil are docking at US ports where other
by Charlie Dunmore and Ivana Sekularac (Reuters) The European Union will almost certainly not meet their targets for cutting emissions
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Water management company Aqualia plans to launch a commercial-scale demonstration project using waste water to cultivate
by Francesco Guarascio and Barbara Lewis (Reuters) The EU forestry and farming sectors will have to monitor and report from 2013 any
by Alex Morales (Bloomberg) Royal DSM NV, the Dutch enzyme maker which last month set up a cellulosic ethanol venture
by Robert Vierhout (ePURE/Ethanol Producer Magazine) Between April 2010 and April 2011, the U.K. used 428 million liters of used
by Justin Doom (Bloomberg) Novozymes A/S (NZYMB), the world’s biggest maker of enzymes for biofuels, is focusing its expansion efforts in Europe, China and
(EurActiv) The European Commission has asked airlines to report on "the amount of biomass" they use so that biofuels can
(European Commission) The European Commission has today presented its strategy and action plan for a sustainable bioeconomy in Europe, called “Innovating
by Leithen Francis (Aviation Week) The International Air Transport Association’s target of carbon neutral growth from 2020 can still be
(Renewable Energy Magazine) Recent studies commissioned by NGOs Friends of the Earth and ActionAid claim that biofuels, including ethanol, will cost
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) There is mounting concern that increasing biofuels production is having significant biodiversity impacts. A study by the International
By Alessandro Torello (Wall Street Journal) ...But this plant, with a capacity of 800,000 metric tons a year, and others
by Alex Morales (Reuters) European Union policies to promote the use of biofuels for transportation will cost consumers as much
(EurActiv) Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels such as palm oil, soybean and rapeseed are higher than those for fossil fuels
(Balkans.com) Cyprus Agricultural Research Institute, a non-profit branch of the Agriculture Ministry, wants to grow tiny algae and see if
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bloomberg New Energy Finance launched its report “Moving towards a next-generation ethanol economy”. Commissioned by Novozymes, the
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine) One would think that a relatively easy way for governments to promote biofuels would
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In July 2011, the European Union belatedly approved the first seven voluntary sustainability schemes
by Jonathan Williams (Biofuels Digest) Who’s in front in the development of algal-based fuels and biomaterials? India, China, Japan, Australia,
by Victoria Bryan (Reuters) German carrier Lufthansa is ending the trial use of a biofuel mix for its planes because it
(IFP Energies Nouvelles) The numerous research programmes looking at new-generation biofuels that were initiated over the last ten years are now
by Scott Larson (The Star Phoenix) A new market for canola growers is opening up in Europe, says a
(European Commission) Committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 80-95% below 1990 levels by 2050, the EU is exploring the
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) Europe’s highest court ruled Wednesday that the European Union has the legal right to
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) This week, while the world’s biofuel producers were busy ramping up production towards the
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) In various circles, the current thinking on indirect land use change (ILUC) is very
by Kris Bevill (Ethanol Producer Magazine) ...In September, Ed Hubbard, legislative counsel for the Renewable Fuels Association, addressed the topic
(The Bioenergy Site) Starting February 1, 2012, a Sustainability Decision from the Swedish Energy Agency is required for biofuels in
by John Terrett (AlJazeera) Some US airlines have begun testing enviromentally friendly fuel. And while the efforts may help the
(Eurasia Review) The European Union renewable energy regulation may became a subject of dispute in the World Trade Organization (WTO),
(Transport & Environment) Biofuels produced from palm oil grown in tropical peatlands are a significant source of greenhouse gases. This
by Riggs Eckelberry (OriginOil/Algae Industry Magazine) ...Almost a decade after the start of Kyoto deliberations, Europe will become the first
by Igor Dormuth and Elena Schmidt (Biomass Power and Thermal/TÜV SÜD Industrie Service) New EU sustainability criteria for biofuels
by Anna Austin (Biomass Power and Themal) Energy crop developer New Energy Farms says it has developed a new system
(The Green Car Website) ...According to reports, nearly one million motorists could suffer as the government prepares to increase the biofuel
by Robert Wall (AviationWeek) When it comes to operating airliners with a biofuel blend, it is becoming difficult to find
by John C.K. Daly (http://oilprice.com) Greening the European Union has suffered a setback. The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the
by Robert Vierhout (Ethanol Producer Magazine/ePURE) ...Even if that extra demand would not exist, why would European politicians want to
by Nina Chestney (Reuters) Biofuels for use in transport are becoming more competitive compared with oil but the pace of
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...But the freakish tenor of the whole debate about biofuels–if it can even be
(Platts) The EU's Customs Code Committee approved Wednesday a draft regulation to raise import taxes for high ethanol blends, a
(Reuters) The European Union's executive finalised proposals for a shake-up of the bloc's 55 billion euro-a-year (48 billion pounds) farm
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) European bioethanol producers have broken ranks and urged EU policymakers to introduce rules on the
by Nigel Hunt and Ikuko Kurahone (Reuters) Major British independent oil firm Greenergy sees its future as an exploration company, but
(Zlokower Consulting) Four major European waste to biodiesel producers, each representing a different country, have announced the formation of
by David R. Robbins and Stephen S. Tam (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Earth Sense Energy USA Inc.) Miscanthus x Giganteus (MxG)
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe News) Deployment of innovative biofuels technologies, possible, but requires strong political commitment, say European biofuels stakeholders. The annual
(European Parliament) Great efforts have been made to reduce CO2 emissions in Europe and internationally, but a number of
by James Kanter (New York Times) The European Union is overestimating the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions achieved through reliance
by Vivienne Raper (Wall Street Journal) Jumbo jets powered by chip fat and algae could be appearing on the horizon
(Agra-net.com) Carbon savings from biodiesel produced using imported palm oil are being deliberately underestimated by the EU, a researcher has claimed. Dr Gerot
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a handful of companies such as Cobalt, Gevo, Terrabon, LanzaTech and ZeaChem, are shaking
SEÁN Mac Connell (Irish Times) Ireland could be producing sugar and ethanol again when the European Commission ends its current quota
by Charlie Dunmore (Reuters) The European Union's top climate and energy officials have agreed to delay by up to seven
(Clean Technology Business Review) Mission NewEnergy has signed a contract to supply sustainability-certified biodiesel to a global oil major. The six-month
by Joelle Brink (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...We imagine “food vs fuel” in terms of grain shortages, but where food and
by Dr Matthew Aylott (National Non-Food Crops Centre) A major new €14 million (£12.3 million) initiative - bringing together experts
(Deutsche Welle) Angela Merkel's junior coalition partners, the liberal Free Democrats, have criticized the botched introduction of the E10 biofuel.
by Monika Bertzky, Valerie Kapos & Jörn P.W. Scharlemann (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) Inference from production statistics and modelling studies
by Caroline Henshaw (Drovers CattleNetwork) Europe's stringent biofuels policy is driving growing interest in region-specific ethanol and rapeseed oil hedging
by Graham von Maltitz, William Stafford (Center for International Forestry Research) Sustainable biofuel production should provide opportunities for sub-Saharan
(European Commission) This Workshop was organised by the European Commission in cooperation with Airbus. The purpose was to discuss with
(UNICA) The European Commission’s approval of certification schemes for biofuels, announced on July 19th, is an important step to add
(Argus Media) Europe's biodiesel producers have commissioned an independent review of a policy document on biodiesel's indirect effects on land
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a new generation of technologies is coming along fast, primarily in advanced biofuels, which
by John C.K. Daly (Oilprice.com) After years of existing largely as an environmentalist's fantasy, commercial production of biofuels for the
(EurObserv'ER) ...The EurObserv’ER Barometer regularly publishes indicators reflecting the current dynamics in renewable energies (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass, biogas, biofuels) worldwide
(Algae Industry Magazine) Kim Chapman reports that Rosetta Green, of Rehovot, Israel, will take part in an EU-funded consortium, led
by Matthew Knight (CNN) It wasn't so long ago that biofuels were being heralded as the savior of the planet
(GreenAirOnline) Although the aviation sector has a good track record in reducing its environmental impact through efficiency gains, it is
(European Commission) Brussels, 19 July 2011 - Biofuels can represent an environmentally-friendly replacement of fossil fuels. However, we need to
by Nalin Viboonchart (The Nation) PTT Aromatics and Refining (PTTAR) has put on hold its US$150-million (Bt4.5 billion) jet-biofuel project, given
by Jessica Shankleman Green groups slam Commission's "back room" processes for approving sustainable biofuel certification schemes Green groups will today learn if the