Faced with the threat of a food crisis, agrofuels accused of aggravating tensions

At the pump, they are distinguished by a number: E5, E10, E85, etc., ie the increasing share of ethanol from beet, wheat or corn production contained in the fuel. For vehicles running on diesel, these are biodiesels, B7 or B10 for the most common, incorporating derivatives of vegetable oils. These biofuels have been gradually installed in the landscape since the 2000s, presented as an alternative source of renewable energy. But many scientists believe that their impact on the climate, biodiversity and other food production is underestimated. A renewed questioning in the context of soaring prices of agricultural raw materials and energy, and supply tensions linked to the war in Ukraine.

  • Biofuels, agrofuels, first or second generation… what are we talking about?

Biofuels refer to all substitutes for fossil fuels derived from plants or waste and organic materials. The first generation of biofuels comes directly from agricultural crops (we then speak of agrofuels): vegetable oils for biodiesels (excluding, in France and some other European countries, palm oil); sugar crops (beets, sugar cane) and cereals (wheat, corn) for bioethanols. They represent 90% of the market in France.

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The second generation comes from so-called “residual” or “non-food” organic materials: used oils, animal fats, livestock effluents, wood cellulose, straw, wine residues, etc. “There is also a third generation obtained above ground, from algae or by integrating cycles that are not currently used (sewers, water treatment plant, etc.)”, explains David Laborde, economist and research director at the International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri). Still in the minority today, these biofuels are seeing their development prospects multiply, particularly for air transport.

  • What part do they represent today in the energy mix?

The European Union (EU) has set a target for renewable energies to represent 14% of energy in transport, and since 2015 the use of biofuels has been capped and cannot exceed 7% in the energy mix. But an incentive tax policy supports them. “Industrialists do not pay the tax on petroleum products on the share of biofuels. And then, there are penalties if we do not reach the objectives on renewable energies, M. Laborde list. It is a whole body of incentives and legislation that push to incorporate these biofuels. »

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