The real impact of growing biofuels: calculating indirect land-use change

Biofuels are being promoted as a climate-friendly alternative to conventional oil. However, for most biofuels, alleged greenhouse gas (GHG) savings do not represent the reality. As soon as crops or land that would have otherwise been used for producing food or animal feed are used for growing biofuels, indirect emissions occur through the displacement of agriculture to new areas. Research increasingly indicates that the emissions released through land-use change could be substantial and outweigh any savings from using biofuels. It is therefore essential that a realistic correction factor is introduced when calculating all GHG emissions associated with biofuels.