The Renewable Energy Directive is likely to drive more sustainable production of biofuel in the UK, it has been suggested.
In response to an article in the Times about the potential environmental risks of alternative fuels, Ruth Digby, a biofuels advisor at the National Farmers Union (NFU), dismissed the notion that all such fuels carry risk of greater pollution.
Demand for industrial conveyors could be driven by more biofuel production within the UK, something that the NFU believes could be done in a sustainable way.
"This could help this fledgling renewable industry to establish itself, creating green jobs and to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and carbon emissions from transport," she wrote to the newspaper.
She went on to suggest that setting aside land for fuels does not necessitate a food versus fuel debate, because production for both can often be carried out concurrently.
This is because up to half the feedstock used in biofuel production is retained as a "co-product", which means it can still be used as animal feed, Ms Digby wrote.
Biofuels can be made of oils derived from various sources, including rapeseed, palm kernels, sun flower, soya and shay nuts.