Biofuels : Markets, Targets and Impacts

This paper reviews recent developments in biofuel markets and their economic, social and environmental impacts. Several countries have introduced mandates and targets for biofuel expansion. Production, international trade and investment have increased sharply in the past few years. However, several existing studies have blamed biofuels as one of the key factors behind the 2007-2008 global food crisis, although the magnitudes of impacts in these studies vary widely depending on the underlying assumptions and structure of the models. Existing studies also have huge disparities in the magnitude of long-term impacts of biofuels on food prices and supply; studies that model only the agricultural sector show higher impacts, whereas studies that model the entire economy show relatively lower impacts. In terms of climate change mitigation impacts, there exists a consensus that current biofuels lead to greenhouse gas mitigation only when greenhouse gas emissions related to land-use change are not counted. If conversion of carbon rich forest land to crop land is not avoided, the resulting greenhouse gas release would mean that biofuels would not reduce cumulative greenhouse gas emissions until several years had passed. Overall, results from most of the existing literature do not favor diversion of food for large-scale production of biofuels, although regulated production of biofuels in countries with surplus land and a strong biofuel industry are not ruled out. Developments in second generation biofuels offer some hope, yet they still compete with food supply through land use and are currently constrained by a number of technical and economic barriers.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Timilsina, Govinda R., Shrestha, Ashish
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2010-07-01
Subjects:	ACID, AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES, AGRICULTURAL RESIDUES, AIR, AIR POLLUTANTS, AIR POLLUTION, AIR QUALITY, ALTERNATIVE FUELS, ANAEROBIC DIGESTION, APPROACH, AVAILABILITY, BAGASSE, BALANCE, BIODIESEL, BIOENERGY, BIOFUEL, BIOFUEL INDUSTRIES, BIOFUEL INDUSTRY, BIOFUEL PRODUCTION, BIOFUEL TECHNOLOGIES, BIOFUEL USE, BIOFUELS, BIOFUELS INDUSTRY, BIOFUELS PRODUCTION, BIOFUELS TECHNOLOGIES, BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL, BIOMASS, BIOMASS ENERGY, BIOMASS PRODUCTIVITY, BIOMASS USING, CANE ETHANOL, CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBON LOSSES, CARBON MONOXIDE, CELLULOSE, CELLULOSIC ETHANOL, CELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCK, CELLULOSIC FEEDSTOCKS, CERTIFIED EMISSION REDUCTIONS, CHEMICAL BIOMASS CONVERSION, CHEMICAL PROCESS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION, CO, CO2, COAL, COGENERATION, COMBUSTION, CONCENTRATES, CONVENTIONAL DIESEL, CONVENTIONAL GASOLINE, COOKING, COOKING OIL, CORN, CORN CROP, CORN ETHANOL, CORN PRICE, CORN PRICES, CORN PRODUCTION, CORN STOVER, COST OF ETHANOL, COST OF SUGARCANE, COSTS OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION, CROP RESIDUES, CULTIVATED LAND, CUMULATIVE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, DEFORESTATION, DEMAND FOR ETHANOL, DEMONSTRATION PLANT, DIESEL, DIESEL CONSUMPTION, DIESEL FUEL, DISTILLERY, DROUGHT, EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT, ELECTRICITY, EMISSION, EMISSION REDUCTION, EMISSION REDUCTIONS, ENERGY CARRIER, ENERGY CARRIERS, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, ENERGY COSTS, ENERGY DEMAND, ENERGY EFFICIENCY, ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENT, ENERGY GAINS, ENERGY INPUT, ENERGY OUTLOOK, ENERGY OUTPUT, ENERGY POLICY, ENERGY PRICES, ENERGY SECURITY, ENERGY SOURCES, ENERGY SUPPLY, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ESTER, ETBE, ETHANOL, ETHANOL BLENDING, ETHANOL IMPORTS, ETHANOL INDUSTRY, ETHANOL OUTPUT, ETHANOL PLANT, ETHANOL PLANTS, ETHANOL PRODUCER, ETHANOL PRODUCTION, ETHANOL PRODUCTION COSTS, ETHANOL PRODUCTION PROCESS, ETHANOL PROGRAM, FEEDSTOCK, FEEDSTOCK COSTS, FEEDSTOCK PRICES, FEEDSTOCKS, FERMENTATION, FOOD CROPS, FOREST LAND, FOREST LANDS, FOREST RESIDUES, FOSSIL, FOSSIL DIESEL, FOSSIL FUEL, FOSSIL FUEL CONSUMPTION, FOSSIL FUEL COUNTERPARTS, FOSSIL FUELS, FUEL DEMAND, FUEL EFFICIENCY, FUEL ETHANOL, FUEL ETHANOL INDUSTRY, FUEL ETHANOL PRODUCTION, FUEL PRICES, FUEL PRODUCTION, FUEL REPLACEMENT, FUEL SUPPLY, GAS PRICES, GASIFICATION, GASOLINE, GASOLINE CONSUMPTION, GASOLINE SALES, GENERATION, GHG, GRAIN PRICES, GREEN ENERGY, GREENHOUSE, GREENHOUSE GAS, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION, GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS, GREENHOUSE GAS RELEASE, HEAT, HEMICELLULOSE, HIGH ETHANOL, HYDROCARBONS, HYDROLYSIS, JATROPHA, LAND USE, LIGNIN, LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS, LIPIDS, LIQUID FUEL, LIQUID FUELS, LUBRICITY, MAIZE, METHANE, METHANOL, MICROALGAE, MIXTURE OF ETHANOL, NATURAL GAS, NATURAL RESOURCES, NITROGEN, NITROGEN FERTILIZER, OCTANE VALUE, OIL, OIL CRISIS, OIL DEMAND, OIL IMPORTS, OIL PALM, OIL PRICE, OIL PRICES, OIL PRODUCTION, OIL SEEDS, OIL USE, OILS, ORGANIC CARBON, PARTICULATE, PARTICULATE MATTER, PETROLEUM, PETROLEUM GAS, POLLUTANT EMISSIONS, POLLUTANTS, POWER, POWER PLANTS, PRICE ELASTICITY, PRICE OF GASOLINE, PRICE OF OIL, PRODUCTION OF ETHANOL, PRODUCTION OF FEEDSTOCKS, RAPESEED, RAPESEED OIL, REGULAR GASOLINE, RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY, RENEWABLE ENERGIES, RENEWABLE ENERGY, RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCE, RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES, RENEWABLE FUEL, RENEWABLE FUELS, SEWAGE, SORGHUM, SOY OIL, SOYBEAN OIL, SOYBEAN PRODUCTION, SUGAR, SUGAR BEET, SUGAR BEETS, SUGAR CANE, SUGARCANE, SUGARCANE CULTIVATION, SUGARCANE ETHANOL, SUGARCANE PRODUCTION, SUGARS, SULFUR, SULFUR EMISSIONS, SYNTHETIC GAS, TAX CREDIT, TAX CREDITS, TAX EXEMPTION, TRANSPORT SECTOR, TROPICAL FOREST, VEGETABLE OIL, VEGETABLE OILS, VEHICLES, VOLUME OF ETHANOL, WASTE MATERIAL, WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER VAPOR, WHEAT, WIND, WOOD, WOOD WASTES,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20100719162226 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3848
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