ABSTRACT
Agrofuels or biofuels are organic fuels that are derived from agriculture wastes. Agrofuels are being seriously viewed from the multidimensional perspective of depleting fossil fuel resources, environmental health, energy security, agrarian economy and new avenues of gainful employment. Agrofuels are gaining importance in the light of increasing energy demand, especially as fossil fuels are non-renewable. Agrofuels are renewable, biodegradable, non-hazardous and safer for air, water and soil, and their use reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. Biodiesel is an important agrofuel made from vegetable oil that runs in any conventional and unmodified diesel engine. Biodiesel can be made from any vegetable oil, including oils pressed straight from the seed, such as soybean, sunflower, canola, coconut and hemp. Various other sources of lipids, such as animal fats and cooking oils, are also used for production of biodiesel. Agrofuels are being given genuine consideration as likely sources of energy later on. In this chapter we focus on the social, economic and environmental impact of agrofuels.
