Biofuels
Plant material, or biomass, is used to produce biofuels in the form of gas or liquid fuel. Energy and environmental concerns have helped promote biofuels as a way to replace oil and natural gas. Unfortunately, biofuels seem to be exacerbating the problem of food shortage. Farmers in many industrialized nations, such as the United States, have been encouraged by their governments to switch to growing fuel crops, such as corn and soy. This reduction in domestic farming means food must be imported, which increases the overall cost of food production worldwide.