Biofuel Industry and Recent Research in USA

Demand for alternatives to petroleum is increasing the production of biofuels from food crops such as corn, soybeans, sorghum and sugarcane, etc. At least for the next 5 years, ethanol demand will be increased greatly in the United States and in the world. Presently, most ethanol produced in the United States is corn (Zea mays) ethanol. As a result, especially in the Americas and Southeast Asia, agricultural land is diverted to biofuel production. Even though biofuel industry has many advantage including national security, economical, energetical and sustainable impacts, it is driving grain prices up and creating considerable concern about the potential negative impacts on a wide range of food products that depend on gain : chicken, pork, beef, and dairy products such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, cream and ice cream. Feedstock crops are crops such as switchgrass(Panicum virgatum, L.), corn stover and grasses that can be used in industrial processes such as fermentation into alcohol fuels. Feedstock is no compete with food. Furthermore it is friendly environmental bioenergy crops. In Korea, with increasing demand for fossil fuels the exploration of alternative sources of liquid fuel is inevitable. I suggest Korea need to research and to develop actively on feedstock for biofuel production through this review.

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