In May 2022 European supermarket chains started to unveil the unimaginable. Vegetable oils would perhaps be scarce. The sight of empty shelves propelled the Ukraine conflict to the attention of shoppers from Paris to London.
It becomes a matter of priority in times of scarcity. Ukraine contributes to more than 40% of worldwide sunflower oil sales and is Europe’s top foreign producer of rapeseed oil.
Restoring distribution networks is critical, but it is incredibly difficult right now. Thankfully, there are simpler solutions to reduce the strain on food resources. Authorities should start with biofuels since they are low-hanging fruit.
One study looked at how much wheat and other cereals are squandered for ethanol put into fuel, while import-dependent nations struggle to feed their people.
Stability, ecology, and agriculture: these three phrases are essential to the rapidly expanding biofuels industry’s golden formula. Each is inexorably related to a distinct and politically compelling motive to support the movement.
However, there is a wide range of reactions alongside the increased acceptance and good national attention that biofuels are receiving. That is, a sizable number of people really believe biofuels actually harm rather than improve the world.
The FAO, which is also closely researching the matter, agrees that there is currently no definite answer. So far, what is understood is that it is a unique problem that cannot be simply dismissed. Essentially, the development of biofuels will have varied implications in different parts of the world.