EVOLUTION AND CURRENT SITUATION OF PLANTATIONS FOR BIOFUEL: PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES FOR MÉXICO

Abstract

Establishing plantations with the objective of biofuel production has become popular because of their consideration as a sustainable and clean energetic strategy compared to the use of fossil fuels; however, these plantations have had various adverse effects, such as an increase in the price of some foods and the deforestation of large extensions of primary forest. In this study we revise the origin of biofuels, the causes for their use and disuse, the cause for their current resurge and future perspectives within an international and national context, with the aim of analyzing their strengths and weaknesses for the
objective of biofuel production. Experiences with large plantations for biofuels have been discouraging and have caused more negative environmental effects than positive, so that the current expectations must be directed towards second and third generation alternatives that use as prime materials components considered as waste or crops that do not require large extensions or compete with the food sector