Biofuels are being touted as a solution to rising fuel prices, growing energy demands, and the need to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. Governments have good reasons for promoting biofuels. Yet, a headlong rush into growing biofuel crops will bring its own problems. Unless planned properly, biofuel crops are likely to escalate competition for water, especially in areas where it is already scarce.
New research shows what options policymakers have for making trade-offs between biofuels and other uses of water. And, biofuel crops that give ‘more crop per drop’ lessen the negative impacts and boost the positive impacts.  The development of biofuels will have an impact on water, food, energy and the environment. How biofuels will affect these must be considered before going ahead. Globally, there is enough water to produce both food and biofuel. However, in countries where water is already scarce, like India and China, growing biofuel crops will aggravate existing problems. As an example, producing one litre of ethanol from sugarcane takes nearly 3,500 litres of precious irrigation water in India, whereas it needs just 90 litres of irrigation water in Brazil. In China, it takes 2,400 litres of irrigation for maize to yield a litre of ethanol.  Certain biofuel crops, such as jatropha trees and sweet sorghum, are less likely to compete with food crops, use much less water, and have much less impact on food production and the environment than others.

By: International Water Management Institute (IWMI)

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