Biofuels Get in the Fast Lane: Developments in Plant Feedstock Productionand Processing

In recent years, high volatility in oil prices and global climate change led to an increased interest in biofuel production to reduce dependency on foreign fossil fuel. Domestically produced plant feedstocks are environmentally friendly renewable substitutes for fossil-derived fuel and are expected to stabilize fuel prices. Plant-derived energy can offer rural development and other environmental, social and energy security benefits for local societies. Crops, grasses, trees, forest-residues and aquatic plants, all can be used as potential biofuel feedstocks. To meet the increased global and regional demand for bioenergy, evaluation and improvement of current and emergent plant feedstocks is urgently needed to reduce the cost of the resulting biofuels.