Biofuel Economics and Policy

The attention to biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuel, is motivated by concerns about energy security, uncertainty over oil prices, climate change and agricultural incomes. The book focuses primarily on the biodiesel sector in Europe, which is the world major player in biodiesel production. The future of biodiesel lies in the world’s ability to produce renewable feedstocks such as vegetable oils to keep the cost of biodiesel competitive with petroleum, without supplanting land necessary for food production, or destroying natural ecosystems in the process. For this reason currently, public policies and private investments around the world are aiming to increase local capacity to produce second generation biofuels. The volume analyses first generation biofuel economics and policies, which have strict interactions with agriculture. The recent impulse given to biofuel policies produced major side effects on highly regulated agricultural sectors.