Ethanol fuel production is a well-established commercial
technology. But it is also a technology that has room to
improve. That is why research and development efforts in
ethanol fuel production are ongoing. The research areas
relating to this technology that continue to be addressed
include (1) feedstock; (2) starch hydrolysis and fermentation
process design; (3) ethanol and by-product end and (4) sitespecific
integration of ethanol production with local
agricultural economics. Feedstock is the most significant cost
element in ethanol production. Questions of possible
competition for prime agricultural land, and impacts of ethanol
production on food supply and distribution are crucial to the
social and economic success of this technology1
.