Shortage of Cooking Oil Looms as Biofuels Gain Global Appeal
- US, Europe, Brazil and Indonesia are driving the biofuel boom
- Palm oil will benefit, but IEA sees impending feedstock crunch
This article is for subscribers only.
A global biofuel boom is set to drive a shortage of vegetable oils — used for cooking and now increasingly to power trucks and planes — intensifying a debate over food versus fuel.
From the US to Brazil and Indonesia, governments are embracing energy made from plants like soybeans or canola, or even animal fat, to move away from fossil fuels and cut emissions. This has created opportunities for vegetable oils, especially palm oil, an ubiquitous but controversial ingredient found in products like pizza dough, instant noodles, chocolate and shampoo.