European Mandates Push Biofuels Development

Pushed by government mandates, European farmers are gearing up to put out higher amounts of biofuels in the coming years, the New York Times reported Wednesday.

The European Commission approved a directive in March that included a “binding target” requiring European Union member countries to use 10% biofuel for transportation by 2020, making it the most ambitious and specific goal in the world, the Times said.

But European growers are still chasing their counterparts in North and South America who have been raising crops for biofuel for more than five years, the paper reported.