SciDev.Net

Biofuels are neither a panacea nor a pariah, says a major UN report, but they must not be grown on productive cropland.

Wastepaper has been overlooked as a clean, cheap source of biofuel that could replace five per cent of petrol, say researchers.

Colombia will contribute its technological knowhow to a new US$2 million biofuels plant in Mexico.

A Costa Rican research centre has opened the most advanced biotechnology laboratory in Central America.

Poultry industry waste can yield biodiesel comparable to what is produced from common feedstocks, say researchers.

El Salvador has the right agricultural conditions to produce biofuel from sugar cane, a study by the Organization of American States has found.

Biofuels from both food and non-food crops will be produced as a result of a research collaboration involving Brazil, Egypt and Sudan.

Biofuel crops are more than twice as invasive than other plants when introduced to tropical and subtropical ecosystems, say researchers.

Sub-Saharan Africa is missing out on the benefits of biogas production due to a lack of local research, say researchers.

Vast quantities of waste straw that are usually burned could be turned into food and energy, says a leading Chinese ecologist.

The genome of the crop sorghum has been sequenced, a move which could provide insights into its ability to tolerate hot, dry conditions.

A study of the environmental and social impacts of different global energy candidates has rated biofuels as the least desirable option.

Coffee grounds can provide a cheap and abundant source of biodiesel, particularly in coffee-producing nations, say researchers.

Researchers have discovered a fungus capable of producing hydrocarbons almost identical to those found in crude oil.

The Chilean government will fund up to 58 per cent of research and development projects aimed at producing biofuels from wood biomass.

A new policy will increase India's biofuel production and the proportion of bio-ethanol and biodiesel in its fuels.

The Brazilian government seeks to minimise the potential impact of biodiesel on the environment and public health, among other goals.

The Kenyan courts might halt a US$370 million biofuel project, following complaints from various environmental and nomadic groups.

Brazilian bioenergy research has received a boost with the launch of a new research programme in São Paulo aiming to foster collaboration.

G8 leaders pledge to cut carbon emission levels to 50 per cent by 2050, but developing countries continue to insist on more concrete targets.