Biofuels in the nexus energy-environment-food

Abstract

The production of biofuels from biological resources has been the subject of much controversy. Their opportunity update deserves to be revisited for technological maturity and assess their relevance in response to current environmental concerns. Innovations in biotechnological and chemical processes allow a wide range of liquid and gaseous biofuels; their characteristics concern energy content, compatibility with fossil fuels and openness towards strictly chemical uses. The factors driving this technological market's evolution are the implementation of abundant public policies, the evolution of agronomic practices, the concern for carbon sequestration in soils, the expectations of the aeronautical sector with biokerosenes, and consumer behaviours. From field crops and forests, the mobilizable raw materials have been extended to microalgae, animal, households and plant wastes. Biofuels are then part of the territorial bio-economy and the circular economy. Value chains are more complex than those traditionally focused on biodiesel based on oilseeds and sucrose from beet, cane or starch from wheat or maize. The integration of economic actors and the scaling of markets have been the subject of foresight work at international and French levels. Environmental sustainability is generally proven, with reservations for some sources (soya, oil palm). Biofuels are part of a food-energy-environment nexus. Public policies, if based on the sustainability and social acceptability of biotechnology, will also guide the choices of economic interests alone. This article discusses the research and development work needed to make biofuels a sustainable part of energy policy.