Biofuels refer to any fuels that are made from organic (plant or animal) matter.
The two most popular forms are biodiesel, made from the oil-bearing plants such as sunflower and canola, and bioethanol, made from crops such as wheat, maize and sugarcane.
These fuels are combined with oil-based fuels (up to 10% bioethanol and less for biodiesel), cutting down on our dependence on oil-based fuels.
In January 2008, the United States government signed into law the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard, which calls for the annual production of 136 billion litres of biofuel by 2022.
But the future for biofuels looks dicey, with environmentalists calling for a rethink of their initial enthusiasm due to their high input costs (water, land, seeds, labour) and their use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), including fifth generation seeds.
The European Union's Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has admitted that its policy of attaining 10% of road fuels from biofuels may have contributed to rising food prices and environmental destruction.
And the government of South Africa has also put its biofuel from wheat strategy on hold due to concerns regarding food shortages after rising prices and a drought last year hit wheat prices.
Brazil has also invested heavily in producing biofuels through sugarcane, but can afford to do so due to having excellent water resources.
Some farmers argue that expanding the markets for their crops through biofuels will lead to better food security, and that the use of GMO crops reduces their dependence on fertilisers and pesticides.
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