While nearly all biofuels have the potential to be sustainable, there is no clear consensus on whether or not the biofuels currently produced actually are. The debate centers around five major points of contention: 1) the actual amount of greenhouse gas and carbon-dioxide released into the atmosphere during biofuel production, 2) the net energy balance of the fuel, 3) the quantity of food crops displaced for biofuel production, 4) the indirect land use impacts of biofuel production, and 5) the results of life-cycle analysis' that attempt to give comprehensive answers to the question of sustainability.
For further information and additional links, see "Key Components of the Biofuels Sustainability Debate"
Mike Morris, National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA)
Diana Friedman, SARE
