The prospects of achieving the green targets set by industrial nations across the globe were underlined in bold with the engendering of biofuels, as these fuels provided a pollution free alternative to the conventional fossil fuels. However, it hasn’t exactly been the juggernaut that it was expected to be. The journey of biofuels from the laboratory beakers to the commercial filling stations has been hampered with many roadblocks. Thankfully, the drivers of this fuel van have had the grit to hold on, and keep the candle burning. In such a situation, a long and hard look at the likely future course of biofuels becomes mandatory.

As mentioned above, there has been no dearth of roadblocks as far as the widespread endorsement of biofuels is concerned. For instance, the inhibiting set up costs of biofuel processing units remain the most stern opposing force to the development of biofuel ventures. The cause and effect laws also come into play, the result being that the raw materials of biofuels, such as corn and soya bean, are exhibiting rising cost curves. Also, the fact that the biofuels are seldom self sufficient to replace coal and petroleum completely also aggravates the situation and casts a shadow of doubt on the future.

What keeps the hopes alive is the assertion that biofuels are the best bet for mankind to achieve low carbon levels. There is definitely a lot of substance in this, and this fuels the attempts towards a brighter and cleaner future. Ethanol is regarded as the basic biofuel example. Research work professes that the efficiency of biofuel production per acre from farms can be augmented through plantation of five to six perennial grasses alongside each other. This opens up the gates to a fascinating future where such farms would ac as carbon sinks, apart from the expected role of fuel producers. Biofuels’ future would depend heavily upon as to how scientists, scholars and agriculturists can complement each other to build upon the remarkable theory and ultimately execute it.

Future work also aims at putting to use the degraded lands in order to make them work as dedicated biofuel producing farms. Apart from this, the focus would be on overcoming and eliminating the hassles of radical land-use changes in agriculture to implement biofuel production. The lack of knowledge among the farmers and farm owners, and their natural disinclination to revamp their agricultural practices for biofuel experiments act as bottlenecks for the biofuel industry. State governments would do well to intervene and dole out substantial incentives for farmers. Economists argue that biofuel production would upset the land economics of the world, as the stress upon land caused due to compensated commercial yields (in lieu of a healthy environment courtesy pollution free bio-fuels) would catapult the costs of the edible farm yields as well as the farms itself. This, in a way, is the most prominent threat to the future of biofuels. The trade-off between a clean environment and sliced profit making is a decision upon which the future of biofuels hinges, and only time will tell as to whether biofuels are able to contribute substantially towards the quest of a green and healthy environment.

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