Biofuel analysis dismisses concerns of impact on food crops

Land available globally could be used to grow enough feedstock for half of the world's entire fuel consumption, according to new biofuel analysis by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Researchers looked into the availability of land suitable for growing fuel crops, without needing to reclaim areas already in use for farming food.

Their biofuel analysis discovered that there is enough land available to produce biofuels equivalent to half of all the fuel currently required worldwide, without reducing the amounts of food grown internationally.

However, co-author of the paper Xiao Zhang notes that the study was based on the current global climate and therefore may change as the planet warms.

Detailed analysis of land worldwide was conducted against criteria such as angle of slope, regional climate, soil quality and other properties of the growing medium.

The university's biofuel researchers have also recently announced the creation of yeast capable of effectively converting the two main sugars used in bioethanol production, improving the process of turning feedstocks into fuel.