Christian Aid, 2009
Growing pains: The possibilities and problems of biofuels
At one point, according to the most ambitious claims of their greatest supporters, biofuels looked like the ultimate win-win solution. They offered the prospect of a low-carbon renewable energy source that would also provide a new market for agricultural producers. However, such claims have been thoroughly debunked by a variety of findings. Reviewing the evidence, Christian Aid finds that biofuels offer only limited savings in certain circumstances. Christian Aid does not completely oppose biofuels use. Small-scale, low-input production, to provide for local energy needs, both minimises associated social and environmental problems and appears to offer significant benefits in terms of poverty reduction.
