Biofuels - The Next Generation

There is a lot of controversy over the development of biofuels and their so-called impact on global food prices. At the BIO World Congress last week I listened to a number of presentations on biofuels and am happy to see the considerable progress being made in phase 2, or second generation biofuels. Second generation fuels are the products of cellulosic processes that utilize grasses and other non-food starting materials.

Although some opponents of biofuels argue that, although the crops are not something that could be designated for consumption, valuable, fertile land is being diverted to grow them, keep in mind that switchgrass and other grasses can be grown on land that is less rich and not suitable for other crops, in addition to being a suitable intermediate crop for field rotation.