Mexican biofuels strategy focuses on beets, yucca and sorghum for biofuels to avoid food conflicts

In Mexico, agriculture ministry said that the country will focus on beets, yucca root and sorghum based biofuels as of next year. The ministry also said that they will offer support for biofuel crop cultivation, but that no food stocks would be used as biofuel feedstocks.

Earlier in the fall, Mexican President Calderón vetoed the Mexican biofuels bill, saying that it places too much emphasis on corn and sugarcane feedstocks. Mexico has been the subject of protects over the rising price of sweet white corn and the resulting impact on tortilla prices. The President called for a bill that placed more emphasis on algae and cellulosic biofuels. The President also said that the Ministry of Energy should be responsible for fuel production, transportation and marketing, instead of the Ministry of Agriculture.

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