The rapidly growing world population and rising consumption of biofuels intensify demands for both food and biofuels. This exaggerates food and fuel shortages. The use of food crops such as corn grain to produce ethanol raises major nutritional and ethical concerns. Nearly 60% of humans in the world are currently malnourished, so the need for grains and other basic foods is critical. Growing crops for fuel squanders land, water and energy resources vital for the production of food for human consumption. Using corn for ethanol increases the price of US beef, chicken, pork, eggs, breads, cereals, and milk more than 10% to 30%. In addition, Jacques Diouf, Director General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, reports that using food grains to produce biofuels is already causing food shortages for the poor of the world. Growing crops for biofuel not only ignores the need to reduce fossil energy and land use, but exacerbates the problem of malnourishment worldwide.

Abstract:The rapidly growing world population and rising consumption of biofuels are increasing demand for both food and biofuels. This exaggerates both food and fuel shortages. Using food crops such as corn grain to produce ethanol raises major nutritional and ethical concerns. Nearly 60% of humans in the world are currently malnourished, so the need for grains and other basic foods is critical. Growing crops for fuel squanders land, water and energy resources vital for the production of food for human consumption. Using corn for ethanol increases the price of U.S. beef, chicken, pork, eggs, breads, cereals, and milk more than 10% to 30%.

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Abstract. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of agricultural utilization of biodiesel byproducts. The hydrophilous by-products of transesterification, such as proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, potassium hydroxide used as catalyser and methanol are concentrated in the phase of glycerol during biodiesel production. Agriculture can utilize these components but some effects of glycerol in soil do not serve the needs of plants. Several studies have investigated the different effects of glycerol in soil. The specific focus of our research is to analyse the relationship between seed germination and glycerol content of soil. During this research the inhibitor effect of glycerol, biodiesel by-product, and methanol on seed germination of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus) were investigated. In the case of some treatments, a different percentage of glycerol and methanol was applied, in order to establish the methanol content of soil that can balance the inhibitor effect of glycerol. Based on the obtained information, pot experiment was established with ryegrass to examine the effects on plant growth. Our research has not only studied the impact of biomass production, but variations in the rate of plant growth as an effect of different treatments were observed as well.