ABSTRACT
Traditional biofuels (wood, charcoal, crop residues) remained the world’s largest source of primary energy until the end of the nineteenth century and they are still indispensable in many low-income countries. Ethanol and biodiesel produced from grains and seeds are now the most voluminous modern liquid biofuels but they supply only a tiny share of global demand even as they cause many environmental problems. Only proper exploitation of lignocellulosic phytomass, now in its earliest phases, could change the long-term prospects.
