Non-food crops offer a promising source of feedstock for biofuel production, providing an alternative to the food crops and waste streams most often used for this purpose. These dedicated energy crops can also play a role in making agriculture more sustainable, by preserving land for food production, bringing marginal land into use, and driving adoption of regenerative farming methods.   

The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global biofuel demand to grow by about 20% over the period of 2022 to 2027. As demand for biofuels rises, so does the need for feedstocks to convert into these fuels. 

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a major driver, with bio-based jet fuel projected to make up ~2% global jet fuel use by 2027, according to the IEA. Other transportation fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and renewable diesel are also contributing to increased feedstock demand. 

First and Second Generation Feedstocks

• Most feedstocks used to produce biofuels today come from crops that are primarily grown for human consumption:

• • Sugary or starchy crops such as corn, sugarcane, beets, and cassava are used to produce bioethanol. 

• • In the case of biodiesel, oily crops like soybean, rapeseed, and oil palm are favored due to their high fat content.

• • However, the use of food crops as biofuel feedstocks raises concerns about food security. The competition between biofuel production and food production becomes more pressing as the world grapples with climate change, population growth, and the need to ensure a stable food supply.   

• This has led to renewed interest in second-generation (2G) feedstocks that do not directly compete with food production. These feedstocks generally fall into two categories: waste materials on the one hand, and dedicated energy crops on the other:

• • Waste feedstocks, such as agricultural residues, forest residues, and used cooking oil, are abundant and often cheap. For example, instead of using corn to produce bioethanol, corn cobs can be used to extract sugars for fermentation into ethanol. Used cooking oil can be converted into biodiesel, and it has already become a significant feedstock in the biodiesel industry. While waste feedstocks are plentiful, they often face challenges related to quality, logistics, and processing, which can make them difficult and expensive to handle at scale.

• • Dedicated energy crops, or non-food crops, are grown specifically for biofuel production rather than for food or animal feed (though these may be byproducts, in some cases). Research and investment into these crops accelerated in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but declined amid a drop in oil prices, growing interest in vehicle electrification, and a focus on waste-derived feedstocks. Examples include giant miscanthus and switchgrass for bioethanol production, and camelina and carinata for biodiesel. These crops are either nonedible or not preferred for consumption, which means they do not compete with food production. Additionally, some of these crops can be grown on marginal land – land that is unsuitable for food crops – or can be grown as cover crops as part of a rotation with food crops. These features further alleviate concerns about land use for biofuel production and food security. 

Dedicated Energy Crops  

Examples of non-food crops that are being explored for their biofuel feedstock potential include:  

• Camelina is a relative of rapeseed and canola which can similarly be grown for its oil content and can be used by temperate-region farmers as a cover crop. Innovators of interest include Global Clean Energy and Yield10 Bioscience.

• Pennycress is an oilseed that can deployed as a cover crop in regions such as the U.S. midwest, where farmers might plant it in between cycles of a typical soy-corn rotation. CoverCress has developed proprietary varieties of the plant.

• Pongamia is a tree that produces oil-rich legumes and grows in tropical and subtropical climes. It is well suited to cultivation on degraded land as part of agroforestry programs. Innovators of note include Investancia and Terviva. 

Field Pennycress Being Grown as a Cover Crop in the U.S. (Credit: CoverCress)

Challenges Facing Non-Food Crop Feedstocks 

 Despite the benefits, there are significant challenges associated with the adoption of non-food crops such as biofuel feedstocks; primarily, the issues of scalability and adoption. The infrastructure required to support large-scale cultivation, harvesting, and processing of these crops is not as well developed as that for food crops. Additionally, non-food crops may require more research and investment to optimize their growth and conversion into biofuels. Farmers and prospective customers alike may lack awareness around non-food crops, and knowledge around how to cultivate and process them. 

Featuring in the Feedstock Mix

Food crops and organic waste will continue to be important feedstocks for biofuel production. However, with feedstock demand on the rise and mounting concern around food security, dedicated energy crops have a critical part to play as a complementary source of feedstock.  

By growing crops that do not compete directly with food production, the biofuel industry can contribute to the global energy transition while supporting food security. Challenges remain, but ongoing research and innovation around energy crop genetics, processing technologies, and logistical infrastructure will help to unlock the full feedstock potential of non-food crops.