IIED Biofuels Report

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) published a new report last week, mapping obstacles on the road to sustainable development of biofuels � liquid fuels produced from oily or starchy 'energy crops' such as sugarcane, corn, soybeans oil palms and jatropha trees. The report argues that biofuels are a promising form of renewable energy that could create major opportunities for developing nations to alleviate poverty and help to mitigate climate change, but could equally cause more problems than it solves. The report calls for international trade barriers, especially subsidies, to be relaxed to enable developing countries to reap the benefits of the biofuels trade, and for certification schemes to take account of the real environmental and social conditions in such countries.